Family members of a man that Richmond police fatally shot Monday evening at an Iron Triangle home have identified him as 27-year-old Angel Montano.
According to a GoFundMe campaign, Montano was described as “proud U.S. Marine, a devoted son, brother, father and to many a loyal friend.”
“Angel brought light and strength into every room he entered. His unexpected loss has left our family heartbroken, and we are doing everything we can to give him the memorial he deserves,” the GoFundMe statement reads.
Montano’s family is seeking to raise $10,000 to cover funeral and burial expenses, and to support his loved ones. As of Wednesday afternoon, $8,400 has been raised.
Richmond police officers fatally shot Montano, saying he had a knife when he confronted them outside a residence where he had reportedly threatened to kill people.
Montano’s death marks the department’s second fatal officer-involved shooting in six months.
According to a police press release, officers responded to a 911 call at about 5 p.m. where a caller reported Montano was inside a home in the 400 block of First Street. The caller said he was armed with at least one knife and had made threats to kill people.
When officers arrived at the location, they reportedly could hear a disturbance inside the residence while police dispatchers simultaneously reported that Montano had armed himself with a second “edged weapon.”
As officers approached the front door and announced their presence, they were reportedly immediately confronted by Montano outside the residence. Two officers discharged their firearms, killing the man. Neither of the officers’ identities have been released.
The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office responded to investigate under the county’s Law Enforcement Involved Fatal Incident protocol (LEIFI), which governs procedures for officer-involved fatalities. California’s Department of Justice is also required to investigate all officer-involved shootings resulting in the death of an unarmed civilian in a protocol mandated by Assembly Bill 1506 (AB 1506).
The district attorney’s office will review the shootings to determine if the use of force was justified under California law.
“We are dedicated to conducting a thorough and transparent investigation,” the Richmond Police Department said in a statement. The department said it would provide updates on its website as new information becomes available.
The shooting marks Richmond police’s second fatal encounter this year involving reports of suspects armed with knives. In February, officers shot and killed Jose De Jesus Mendez, 51, of Richmond, following a 30-minute standoff on railroad tracks near Carlson Boulevard. Police said in a news release at that time that Mendez charged at officers with something they mistook for a knife. It was a knife sheath. He was wanted on domestic violence charges.
Richmond officers Nicholas Remick and Jessica Khalil were named by the DOJ in April as the officers who shot Mendez.
This is a developing story and Richmondside will update it as further details are available.
The City of Richmond should front the $10,000 and get repaid by go fund me if the shooting is found to be sanctioned and reasonable. On the face of it shooting an unarmed man is all they need to accept that this family is now struggling to provide an honored member of our military with the minimum that he needs right now. And why on earth doesn’t our government automatically cover the cost of internment for a member who has served this country??! This points out so many unconscionable issues of government today.
The title is slightly misleading. If the reader doesn’t get into the text of the article they might believe that he was an active duty Marine.
Also, the caption under the photo suggests that the same officer who killed an assailant in February is the same officer for this death.
Nowhere are we reading how far away the assailant was. This is important when you consider escalation techniques.
Would a taser have been an effective option?