Ronald Ritchie (aka Tyler Ritchie) interviewed by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation

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• published: 09 Jan 2015
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OAG/BCI never investigated/charged Ritchie for making false claims in the 911 call. 1:10 (responding to news about the woman that died...) "It's probably the most tragic [?] of the situation. The other guy kind of deserved it." 7:30 "I wouldn't say like it was a two hand carry. It was a one hand carry." Up, or down to his side? "Down" 8:45 "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." 9:18 "We actually moved up closer to him which I know is kind of retarded." 10:10 "It looks like he checked them [the police] and that's when 2 shots were fired." 11:43 "Whether it was [a toy] or not was not my issue. If you're dumb enough to point any kind of weapon at a police officer you get what's coming to you." 12:40 The investigator repeats Ritchie's words (muzzle checked) to him and asked if there were any other encounters between the suspect and others. 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..." 17:05 Ritchie jokes about meeting the suspect's girlfriend outside the store, recognizing she was looking for the suspect. "He's probably dead now". 17:45 "He was kind of meandering." In the statements of both Ritchie and his wife, they repeatedly mention that he was on the phone but express surprise that he was not actively looking at products on the shelves. The Ritchie's appear confused that someone might devote their attention to a phone call instead of the wondrous product selection of Walmart. 21:00 Ritchie notes that a store associate walks right past the subject without any concern and without Ritchie's racist fear. 22:00 "I don't know if he actually was [loading the gun] or not but at one point he cocked it." 25:30 Upon viewing what actually happened in the security video, Ritchie realizes the suspect may not have pointed his weapon at the officers. "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 appears to now be aware that the suspect did not threaten the officers. 27:00 Richie is certain that the officers said "Put it down. Put it down." and then immediately says "pop pop". Ritchie estimates only 2 seconds passed between commands and firing. 31:45 Ritchie reveals 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. Ritchie knows that they hit him from the side, just a day after the event. The public would not learn this for over a month. Beavercreek Police and BCI were not supposed to share any investigative information. 33:10 The investigator asks Ritchie what he thought the suspect was trying to do by getting up and going back into the aisle. Ritchie speculates but says "I don't know". 35:30 Ritchie laughs about the customers who had to leave their groceries behind. 36:00 Ritchie believes the death of Angela Williams was due to shock from the gunfire. 36:50 Ritchie appears to finally recognize the seriousness of the situation. "Ignore the little chuckle I did right after that." 37:10 Ritchie states that he and his wife were not there to shop. They just went to walk around. They had less of a legitimate reason to be in Walmart than the victim of the police shooting. 38:50 An investigator notes that you have to watch out for gang members that paint orange on the tips of real guns. 39:55 The investigator asks Ritchie to clarify his definition of "muzzle check" and to which family he muzzle checked. 39:58 "I mean there was other people that he was... that were walking around the area. I couldn't tell if they were actually checked or not but he... the way he was just waving it around and pointing at things just kind of left me uneasy." 46:30 Investigators ask what information that the Ritchie's posted on Facebook. Tyler Ritchie reads the posts from his wife on his phone. 47:40 April Ritchie's Facebook: "They [police] told him to put the gun down. He [the suspect] pointed at them and they shot him". This false report becomes the narrative used by the media for months, until the actual security video becomes available. 48:05 The investigator asks where this message appears, possibly unaware how social media works.