Two Richmond police officers who fatally shot a man last year after they said he came at them with a knife were justified in their actions, the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office said Friday.
The “deadly force” that Officers Nicholas Remick and Colton Stocking used on Aug 4, 2025, in their encounter with Angel Montano Magallan “was reasonable under the circumstances,” Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton announced in a statement that accompanied a public release of the report.
The officers shot and killed Magallan after Magallan’s family called police after responding to a domestic disturbance in the 400 block of First Street about 5 p.m.
“The release of this report reflects my office’s commitment to transparency and accountability in the review of officer-involved shootings. We believe the public deserves a clear and thorough account of the facts surrounding these incidents, and that making our findings available to the community is essential to maintaining public trust.”
The ruling means the case is over.
Richmond police were not available immediately for comment.
Police at a press conference eight days after the shooting showed video of the moments that led up to the shooting. In the video, officers clearly could be heard telling Magallan to stop his actions. The video also clearly showed Magallan coming out of the front door of a residence with knives in his hands.
In her statement, Becton said that “it was not until Magallan had closed to within 5 to 10 feet — near enough to deliver a fatal knife strike to a retreating officer — that Officer Remick and Officer Stocking discharged their firearms.”
Stocking and Remick both had been hired by Richmond police out of the police academy and had been working about 2½ years when the fatal encounter took place. It was the second time Remick had been involved in a fatal police shooting last year. He also was one of two who shot and killed 51-year-old Jose Mendez Rios on Feb. 4, 2025.
In the aftermath, questions arose about whether officers had handled the situation correctly. Officers initially strategized to await the arrival of less-than-lethal tools and more resources for treating a mental health crisis, police said.
Video released from officer-worn badges supported their version of events. At one point, video showed Remick telling other officers that they weren’t going to approach the residence “maybe once everybody else gets here. A couple of seconds. I want to make sure our tools come out.”
As they waited, updates from the dispatcher came, some of them regarding the cries from Magallan’s brother for officers to arrive. That changed the officers’ actions, and ultimately the outcome, police said. Video supported those versions of events, too.
“Once we know he has a weapon in his hands, this situation was not one where (mental health teams) would’ve responded, because now he is armed,” Richmond police Lt. Donald Patchin said at the August news conference. “(They) are not equipped to deal with that.”
Video displayed at the news conference showed officers start to fire as Montano charges out the door. A blown-up image of the video clearly showed him holding a knife as he comes out the door.
After the shooting, Magallan’s family in an online fundraiser summation wrote that he had been a “proud U.S. Marine, a devoted son, brother, father and to many a loyal friend.”
“OK, now he has two knives,” Magallan’s brother said, as his mother wails in the background. A few moments later, he adds: “Please hurry, send them in now. Please.”
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