California's attorney general has found a San Diego County sheriff's deputy was justified when he fatally shot a man two years ago. The decision is the final evaluation of five fatal officer-involved shootings in Vista in 2005. The victims were all Latino men and the shootings caused community outrage.
Deputy Attorney General Mike Murphy says in this case, the deputy acted appropriately.
Murphy : He was confronting in close quarters a person who he reasonably suspected had committed an armed robbery, who was clearly trying to get away from the officer and do what he could not to get arrested, it was dark out, he was unable to see his hands to see if he had a weapon.
Jorge Ramirez did not have a gun when Deputy Mark Ritchey shot him six times in the chest -- after hitting him twice in the legs.
District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis had previously determined all five shootings were justified. A group of concerned citizens had asked the attorney general to review the decisions.
