Elkhart County prosecutors say the 17-year-old that two officers fatally shot last week in High Dive Park had fired a gun before they shot him.
Prosecutor Vicki Becker on Wednesday released a statement shedding more light into how officers killed 17-year-old Bryan Ramirez Gomez on Dec. 8.
Becker’s statement includes this description, where the front-seat passenger is Bryan Ramirez Gomez:
“As Officer 1 continued to remove the backseat passengers from the driver’s side of the vehicle, the front seat passenger, who had previously been complying with officer directives to keep hands visible, reached down between his legs and refused to put his hand up when ordered. The front passenger then turned, got out of the car on the passenger’s side, and fired a handgun.”
Becker said it could still be months before she determines whether the officer shooting was justified. Audio and video recordings must be analyzed, and forensic firearm and toolmark analysis is still needed to determine which guns were fired, since another handgun with a Glock switch was found on the front passenger floorboard.
Becker said she won’t be releasing body or dash cam video before her investigation is complete.
