Caller In John Crawford Murder Could Be Brought Up On Charges

A man who called 911 to report a customer waving a gun inside a Walmart, resulting in a fatal police-involved shooting in 2014 in a Dayton, Ohio suburb, could now be charged with making a false alarm, reports The Associated Press.

Judge Beth Root of Ohio’s Fairborn Municipal Court ruled this week that there is enough probable cause to charge Ronald Ritchie with a misdemeanor in the Aug. 5 police shooting of John Crawford III, 22, in suburban Beavercreek, writes the news outlet.

From The AP:

Root reviewed sworn statements from several private citizens, who submitted a copy of Wal-Mart surveillance video synchronized to the 911 call and alleged Ritchie violated several laws. The judge leaves it up to the Beavercreek city prosecutor to decide whether to charge Ritchie.

[…]

Ritchie, the only person to call 911 from Wal-Mart before shots were fired, told police in his call that there was a man walking around with a gun in the store.

“He’s, like, pointing it at people,” Ritchie told a dispatcher. Ritchie said the man appeared to be loading what looked like a rifle and was “waving it back and forth,” according to a recording of his call.

Police have also claimed that Crawford had a real rifle and said he didn’t respond to commands to put it down.

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