[kellyhound]

Morgan County Sheriff Jim Crone has released a video that shows him and several other law enforcement officers shooting a suspect in two fatal New Mexico stabbings after the man allegedly disobeyed orders not to move and stepped out of his car holding a knife while raising his hands above his head.

Crone, who was among those who fired shots in a Fort Morgan Walmart parking lot on May 24, said he released the graphic video, depicting the shooting of homicide suspect Dustin Brian Montano, in the interest of full disclosure.

Undersheriff Dave Martin also fired shots.

In a news release, Crone said they had no choice but to shoot.

“Prior to May 24th, Undersheriff Martin and myself, in our 50 years of combined law enforcement experience, have been involved in many armed confrontations over the years, and only one of those resulted in deadly force being used (I shot a man who stabbed me in 1987),” Crone wrote.

“However, when confronting a man who was a suspect in a homicide, was presumably armed and dangerous, and in a conscious effort to disregard commands and come out of the car aggressively with a knife (which we initially saw as a handgun), the suspect left us with little choice.”

Morgan County District Attorney Brittny Lewton determined on Sept. 7 that deadly force under the circumstances was justified.

Crone and Martin fired eight bullets, striking Montano seven times in the torso, arm and leg. After giving him 150 pints of blood to keep him alive, Montano was pronounced dead the next day at a hospital.

On the day of the shooting, Morgan County authorities knew that Montano was wanted for fatally stabbed his 53-year-old aunt, Debra Martinez, and 17-year-old cousin, Iris Montano, in Albuquerque.

He had sent text messages to relatives in Sterling, north of Fort Morgan, to tell them he was on his way to kill them, according to the news release.

Albuquerque police indicated Montano had stolen a red Volkswagen Jetta. That police department reported that Montano was trying to set up a marijuana distribution business from his aunt’s house and stabbed her when she refused. Morgan County dispatchers sent alerts beginning at 6 a.m. to officers that Montano was suicidal and could be armed, Crones’ news release said.

The car was spotted at 7:38 a.m. in the Walmart parking lot. Martin drove to the parking lot in an unmarked car and parked in view of the car. Crone parked on the south side of the building, also in an unmarked car, a police report of the incident says.

They intended to wait until Montano returned to his car and block his exit with their cars, to avoid a high speed chase, it says. A plainclothes investigator entered the Walmart.

When Montano returned to his car, Crone, Martin, two Colorado State Patrol troopers and a deputy drove up and surrounded the car. The officers got out of their cars, aimed their weapons at Montano, who was still inside the car, and loudly ordered him not to move, according to the video. At the time, Montano opened the front driver’s side door of the Jetta.

“The suspect slammed the door and at that point Sheriff Crone felt the suspect would start the car and ram his patrol vehicle in an attempt to get out,” the report says.

But the door “suddenly flew open,” Crone said.

Crone and Martin believed that by the way Montano opened the car door that he was going to fight or run, the report says. Montano’s right hand came up above the door holding what they believed was a handgun. Montano was looking directly at Martin, who said he believed the suspect intended to kill him.

Both Crone and Martin fired shots at Montano, who spun and fell to the pavement.

As the officers approached Montano to disarm him, the suspect yelled, “Why didn’t you just shoot me in the (expletive) head? Just kill me,” the report says.

Montano was raised in Sterling. He moved to Louisiana when he was 18, and served 10 years in prison there after he fatally stabbed another teenager, the sheriff’s report said. He had been living in New Mexico with his aunt for about two months before their confrontation over his plans for a marijuana business.

Authorities believe the knife he was holding when he got out of the Jetta in Fort Morgan was the same knife he used to kill his aunt and cousin, the report said.

Crone and Martin took a few days off following the shooting until they were interviewed and spoke with a psychologist, the report said.

The shooting was investigated by the Morgan County Major Crimes Investigative Team, which includes the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office, Fort Morgan Police Department, Brush Police Department and Log Lane Marshal’s Office.

Because personnel from the sheriff’s office fired the shots, and since the incident actually occurred within the city limits, the Fort Morgan Police Department took the lead in the investigation.

[Yanni]

just an all-around stabby-feeling guy:

"...Montano was raised in Sterling. He moved to Louisiana when he was 18, and served 10 years in prison there after he fatally stabbed another teenager, the sheriff’s report said."

[rockettemorton]

This is basically me every time I try to get out of my car with a 5-Star wanted level on GTA.

[records1]

Total stooge cop - similar to "Take off your hat, raise your right hand".

[JeremyJager]

Bad Hambre

[Majin_vegeta_ssj4]

That cop needs to learn to trigger finger discipline. As soon as his glock was drawn his finger was though the guard if you watch closely.

[spudigitti]

[cardsharksam]

one less killer in the world.. ps nice shooting

[docfr8]

Good shit.. Don't comply and find out the hard way

[davebaron666]

Seriously why did they shot a person both hands up in the air?