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Title: Walmart 911-Caller Ronald Ritchie Indicted For Lying To Police Before They Shot John Crawford
Source:
Counter Current News
URL Source: http://countercurrentnews.com/2016/ ... ford-ritchie-finally-indicted/
Published: Apr 6, 2016
Author: M. David
Post Date: 2016-04-06 18:16:15 by Deckard
Keywords: None
Views: 13388
Comments: 42
Fairborn Municipal Court Judge Beth Root has just decided that there is in fact probable cause to prosecute Ronald T. Ritchie for lying to a 9-1-1 dispatcher about John Crawford, in August of 2014. Shortly after Ritchie’s call from the Beavercreek, Ohio Walmart on Pentagon Avenue, John Crawford III was gunned down by Officer Sean Williams who entered the store armed with an AR-15 assault rifle and ready for nothing short of war, based on Ritchies lies. Crawford was shot by police in an aisle of the Beavercreek Walmart on August 5, 2014. He was legally holding a BB gun that he picked up off the shelf of the Walmart at the time. Local WDTN News reports the following: Nine citizens filled out affidavits — that were delivered to the court on March 25. Judge Root found in those affidavits that probable cause does exist to prosecute Ritchie for the accusation of making false alarms — a first degree misdemeanor. Affidavits questioned on whether or not there was enough to prosecute him on charges related to inducing violence, inducing panic, involuntary manslaughter and reckless homicide — all of which were dismissed as not having enough probable cause. The call from Ritchie came into Beavercreek’s 9-1-1 dispatch center. “…there is a man walking around in the store with a gun waving and pointing at people.” The dispatcher asked, “What does he look like?” To which the caller answers, “Black male about 6 feet tall…” Watch the local report below… No matter what your position on the shooting of John Crawford last August in the Beavercreek, Ohio Walmart, nearly everyone agrees that the guy who called 911 should be arrested and prosecuted. Ronald Tyler Ritchie’s false information, given during that emergency call – by all estimations – led to the death of not only John Crawford, but also another shopper who died of a heart attack after Officer Sean Williams opened fire in the store. “He was the catalyst, if you will, in the whole sequence of events leading up to my son’s death,” John Crawford Jr, the father of the victim, told the Guardian UK. “It was a crank call. He excited the call, and exaggerated the call, and frankly it was just a bunch of lies.” Michael Wright, the attorney for the Crawford family, added that Ritchie “should be questioned on why the footage and what he said does not match. He’s basically lying with the dispatchers, he’s making up the story. So should he be prosecuted? Yes, I believe so.” To be sure, Ritchie was questioned, but in a very uncritical, non-aggressive manner. Watch the footage from an account that describes itself as “about the Beavercreek, Ohio Police. This account is not operated or endorsed by the Beavercreek, Ohio Police.” “If you’re dumb enough to point any kind of weapon at a police officer then you get what’s coming to you,” Ritchie says. “I’d have done the same thing.” Responding to news about the woman, Angela Williams, who died while fleeing the officer who had opened fire, Ritchie comments, “it’s probably the most tragic [thing] of the situation. The other guy kind of deserved it.” But Ritchie acknowledged to the detective that nothing he said on the phone was true. Crawford never shouldered the replica weapon. “I wouldn’t say like it was a two hand carry. It was a one hand carry.” Up, or down to his side? “Down” “At one point there’s a family that goes across with two young children. I’d say probably 5 years old and he muzzle checked both of them.” That means that at some point, Ritchie is claiming a family walked in line with the barrel of the fake gun, even though he acknowledges Crawford never shouldered and aimed it at them. Ritchie and his wife April didn’t seem particularly concerned for their own safety either. “We actually moved up closer to him which I know is kind of retarded.” In the YouTube description of the video, the Beavercreek Police page says: “Ritchie backtracks and says ‘he didn’t look as if he was pointing it at him. It just kind of… [gestures] where he was swinging it around and flashing the muzzle toward the children. But I know accidental discharge can go…'” The YouTube page notes that “Upon viewing what actually happened in the security video, Ritchie realizes the suspect may not have pointed his weapon at the officers.” Ritchie backtracks on his 911 call claims, saying: “It just looked like, at the time, that he pulled the rifle to them and they shot him twice.” 26:24 Ritchie continues to modify his story upon seeing the video evidence. He no longer seems so certain that the suspect pointed the gun at officers. “But as soon as he [an officer] said ‘Put it down. Put it down’ he [the suspect] looked over and just, I guess, how he looked at the officer with the gun [Ritchie shrugs].” The security video shows that despite turning his head toward the yelling officers, the rest of the suspect’s body remained facing a shelf. The autopsy shows that the officer fired at the suspect’s side. Ritchie even acknowledges this, saying that he knows the suspect’s elbow has been blown out and that his liver was shot because he was eavesdropping on the investigation. He laughs about this, thinking that it’s pretty hilarious. The general public did not learn about these details for over a month. April Ritchie’s Facebook account posted a comment about the shooting, saying “They told him to put the gun down. He pointed at them and they shot him”. This becomes the narrative used by the media for months, until the actual security video becomes available. By that time the narrative had taken root in the public consciousness, even though it is nothing like what can be seen on the surveillance video. (Article by M. David) 
Ronald Ritchie was inside the Beavercreek Walmart. He made this call to 911 after seeing Crawford.
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Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 14.
#14. To: Deckard (#0)
Charge him with murder. That would be just. Two counts.
#15. To: A K A Stone (#14)
At the very least as an accessory to murder.
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Replies to Comment # 14. Charge him with murder
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