Richmond police dispatch audio records paint a tense picture of the time period before officers shot and killed Jose De Jesus Mendez on Tuesday night.
Richmond Police Department officers appear to have pursued Mendez, who was identified by family on Friday, for about 45 minutes, crawling through fencing and tramping through rain-soaked grass on railroad property bordered by businesses and homeless encampments along the tracks running parallel to Carlson Boulevard near the Pullman Avenue apartments.
Officers were juggling diverting traffic, stopping trains and calling for shields to be brought in after they reported seeing Mendez holding what they thought was a knife. At one point Mendez, who was wanted for violating a restraining order, tells police he wants to speak to the “news” to share a message.
Richmondside reviewed the transcripts using Broadcastify and is sharing some excerpts of those tense moments. (Times are approximate.)
8:10 p.m.: Just after 8:10 p.m., there is the first mention of officers arriving at South 28th Street and Maine Avenue.
8:25 p.m.: This marks the first mention of the suspect, who family members later identified as Mendez. An officer says he believes he has located him, saying he was “walking away from me at my location on a train track.”
8:29 p.m.: An officer says he can see him across a pool of water as they walk south along the tracks: “We’re just walking southbound. You can probably see my light right now.”
8:29 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.: The search continues: “Go find a break in the fence. We’re still walking south on the train tracks, on the east side of the track.”
8:31 p.m.: “He, he’s about to walk into your view.”
8:33 p.m.: Police ask dispatch to stop all trains because Mendez is on the tracks: “Hey, notify, the train to stop. He’s on the tracks.”
About 15 seconds later, the officers report seeing something in his hand, saying “He’s kind of (holding something in) his hand right now. I’m not sure if it’s a firearm or not.”
Then they say, “He’s holding something on his head with his right hand. I’m not sure what it is.”
And: “I have a good 40 yards of the view.”
Then the officer identifies the object as a knife: “Oh no 30 it will be a puncture.”
He then says Mendez is holding the object to his own neck. The officer calls for medical responders to stage at Carlson and Pullman Avenue.
8:37 p.m.: Officers ask for safety equipment: “Thanks for responding, you know if you can bring a shield as well?
And one asks for confirmation that train traffic is stopped: “Just confirm we have all train traffic stopped.”
8:38 p.m.: Mendez is still on the move with two officers coordinating together. “Still making his way toward Carlson at the embankment if anyone’s on Carlson.”
But there the search is hampered by the fence. “Is there a hole back there?” one officer asks.
“There’s a bunch along Carlton, but I don’t see one right next to where he’s at,” an officer replies.
“It’s hard for me to walk down and see that.”
“It’s a pretty big distance to the next hole, so you’d have to run to it, but we still need a unit.”
8:40 p.m.: Mendez is seen along the fenceline: “Hey, he’s on the fence line.”
“There’s a large amount of water between us and him.”
8:42 p.m.: Officers notice Mendez’ motions: “He’s still clutching his waistband. We’ve undetermined what that object is.”
The next five minutes, officers responding to the area begin closing off traffic on north and southbound Carlson Boulevard.
8:47 p.m.: Officers mention they need a security guard across the street to move, saying “Can you get that security guard out of the crossfire?
8:48 p.m.: Officers appear to be trying to speak to Mendez as he still holds what appears to be a knife to his throat: “Suspect still has a knife to his throat, 303 is establishing the rapport with them.”
They discuss an opportunity to approach him. “Really, if you can put a hole in the fence, come into the train tracks and just walk out here on our side, so we have more people to go hands on if we get the opportunity.”
8:51 p.m.: Mendez indicates he wants to make contact with the media: “He is requesting to speak with news to give his statement on what’s going on.”
9:01 p.m.: Officers say that Mendez is refusing to communicate: “He’s saying that he doesn’t wanna talk to anybody.”
9:02 p.m.: The officers are attempting to communicate with Mendez: “You keep talking to him, keep talking to him, keep him occupied.”
In its statement, the Richmond Police Department said Mendez “charged the officers with the object in his hand while raising it in a threatening manner” and was shot.
This moment was captured on the audio.
9:03 p.m.: “Shots fired, shots fired.” “Suspect is down.”
great reporting, thank you. I am proud of RPD for diligently following protocol, protecting family and public, and showing tremendous restraint.