COLORADO — Tomorrow marks one year since the shooting death of Richard Ward outside of a Pueblo West Middle School. Today his family announced a federal lawsuit against the deputies involved.
It happened last February outside of Liberty Point International Middle School in Pueblo West. The 32-year-old was with his mother in a white SUV waiting for his younger brother to be released from school.
“I can't find the words, we can't explain it. It's just shattered this whole family,” said Kristy Ward Stamp, Richard’s mother.
Today, lawyers for his family also released body camera video of the incident. In the video, you can see Richard sitting in the backseat of the car speaking with deputies. The family’s lawyers say before the incident, Ward stepped out of the car to get some air.
On his way back, he accidentally got into the wrong SUV that looked similar to his mom’s. The family’s lawyers say, before realizing his mistake, he apologized to the driver and got back into his mother's vehicle.
According to an officer involved incident report, deputies responded for a male “acting aggressive and trying to get into vehicles.” The 911 caller suspected Ward was “on something.” Deputies responded after the call.
In the body camera video, when deputies approach Ward, he explains to deputies that he’s nervous and anxious because he doesn’t like cops.
Deputies then asked Ward to empty his pockets. When he put an unknown pill into his mouth, deputies pulled him from the vehicle, where a struggle began and Ward was thrown to the ground. Seconds later, the deputy shot Ward three times at close range.
“I was there and I witnessed everything, I heard everything,” said Kristy, who added that the past year for her has been difficult. “I can't even describe it. I can't. It's been really, really, really horrible. I don't even know who I am anymore.”
Today, Kristy and other family members joined their lawyers today to announce the filing of the lawsuit. Ward's younger brother, Eddy Stamp, was also there.
“Today is really hard, because you know, you get that phone call, saying that they’re gone, and it's not real, it doesn't hit me,” said Eddy.
A year later, he also said, it hasn't gotten any easier for his family to cope with.
“There’s not a day that goes by that I don't think about how I’ll never get to have another phone conversation with my brother. I feel robbed of a brother, and my mom feels robbed of a son,” said Eddy.
Richard's family has also seen the body camera video from the day that changed their lives forever. They say they were saddened and shocked.
In October, the Pueblo District Attorney J.E. Chostner ruled the shooting justified. Charges were not filed against Deputy Charles McWhorter and Deputy Cassandra Gonzalez.
The family is seeking unspecified damages, which will be up for the courts to decide.
An autopsy report showed Ward had methamphetamine and other drugs in his system.
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