Darell Richards

Darell Richards, 19, was shot and killed by police officers in Sacramento, California.

Police received reports of a man walking with a mask and a gun on Sept. 5. An officer spots Richards and orders him to stop. Richards then runs away. Officers set up a perimeter and called in SWAT and K9 Teams.

Officers say they found Richards hiding under a stairwell and ordered him to drop his weapon. He pointed pellet gun at officers, who opened fire, believing it was a real handgun. Richards was pronounced dead at the scene.

In May 2021, a lawsuit was filed against the Sacramento Police Department because, more than two years after the shooting, the city still has not released documents about the murder of Darell Richards. The city is hiding the documents despite Legislative Assembly of California adopted a law that requires publication of the documents in 2018.

In August 2021 Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Steven M. Gevercer announced that, the city of Sacramento violated the California Public Records Act by refusing to produce complete records – including video/photos and documents – after city police killed Richards. The ruling meant additional documents will be made public no later than Sept. 13.