RICHMOND — After a year in which two people were fatally shot by Richmond officers, stricter standards for how the city’s police department communicates with the public and shares body-worn camera footage received unanimous council backing Tuesday.
Jose Mendez-Rios, 51, was killed on Feb. 4 after he allegedly charged at officers with a sheath they mistook for a knife, officers said in a press release following the incident.
Six months later on Aug. 4, officers shot and killed 27-year-old U.S. Marine Angel Montaño who was experiencing a mental health crisis, according to a recording of the 911 call made by a family member and shared by the department. Officers reportedly shot Montaño after he exited his home carrying two knives.
Officers’ handling of the Aug. 4 incident and subsequent public communication and release of information triggered a public outcry and demands for police reforms.
Heeding those demands, councilmembers have adopted a revised policy that requires the department to issue a press release within 24 hours of an officer-involved shooting, provide regular updates on the incident and limit edits to body-worn camera footage released from incidents.
Steps will also be taken to improve city-sponsored mental health services for people impacted by officer-involved incidents and other traumatic events, under council direction.
“Through this conversation I think we’re getting a little bit closer to providing that human touch,” Vice Mayor Cesar Zepeda said Tuesday.
Press releases from future incidents should detail what happened, the investigations that will follow, the agencies involved in those investigations, the types of resources available to people impacted by the incident and other information. Updates of the case and investigations will also be expected every 30 days.
The policy also limits the types of edits the department can make to body-worn camera footage to only those required by state law that protect peoples’ privacy.
The revisions will next be subject to impact discussions with the city and the Richmond Police Officers Association, which represents sworn city employees.
“Somthing like this is a longtime coming and I think this kind of accountability and transparency that we’ll have for our community after these kinds of tragic incidents will be so appreciated and helpful,” said Andrew Melendez, a member of the city’s Community Crisis Response Program Advisory Board and organizer with the public safety advocacy group Reimagine Richmond.
Updating mental health services the city provides will start with contracting a firm to conduct an assessment of city services and public outreach over a period of about six months. A final report and recommendations are expected to come before the council in July 2026. Additional service providers may be sought out and funding allocated as a result of that assessment.
The city is ultimately looking to better support families and witnesses after an incident with the deployment of a trauma-informed specialist, ongoing case management, counseling and help navigating resources. What services are provided should be done with cultural and linguistic competence, as well as metrics that include the number of people served and their satisfaction levels, which should be regularly evaluated.
The city also hopes to reach people before officer-involved incidents occur.
“When you get to the point of having an officer-involved shooting, you’re too late,” Councilmember Doria Robinson said. “What we want is to try to prevent the situation from happening and in order to do that we need people to have access to services.”
Similar services should also be made available to people impacted by homicides and other traumatic events not involving officers, said Councilmember Jamelia Brown. Regular updates on those cases should also be provided to the community, she said.
The Nov. 17 fatal shooting of a Richmond man marked the fourth homicide under investigation by the Richmond Police Department this year. A total of 11 homicides occurred in 2024, eight in 2023, and 18 in both 2022 and 2021, according to police department data.
Other councilmembers supported those recommendations and City Manager Shasa Curl said staff could return with a formal recommendation in 45 to 60 days.
“When a community member takes another community member’s life, we tend not to move on those things quickly, the names fade from public conversation, the grief becomes private and it’s back to business as usual,” Brown said. “My goal today isn’t about comparing tragedies. The goal is to guarantee equity and compassion.”