The Richmond Department of Justice has disclosed the names of two officers involved in the fatal shooting of Jose Mendez-Rios, which occurred during a standoff. The incident took place on February 4, 2025, when Mendez-Rios allegedly attacked the officers with an object mistaken for a weapon. Critics, including the city's police union president, raised concerns over the city's handling of information release, particularly the decision to initially disclose a larger list of officer names rather than those directly involved. Notably, video footage of the encounter has not yet been made available.
The state Department of Justice has released the names of two Richmond cops who shot and killed a man in February when he allegedly charged at them with an empty sheath.
Police said in a news release that Mendez-Rios charged at officers with a sheath that they mistook for a knife, during a standoff that had lasted 30 minutes.
The city's police union president, Sgt. Ben Therriault, lambasted the city's decision to "muddy the waters" by releasing 31 names instead of two.
The city has not yet released video footage of the fatal encounter.
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