On July 9, 2012, Officer Christopher Wright ignored police procedures and protocol and unilaterally decided to engage in conduct more appropriate for a SWAT team.
Rather than wait for his partner who was seconds away, Officer Christopher Wright needlessly forced entry to a private residence in West Sacramento California and immediately discharged his firearm as the door burst open. He narrowly missed the woman who had called the police and hit the unarmed man (her husband) who was standing inside next to her. The two were frantically trying to open the door.
Rather than take responsibility for his misconduct, Officer Wright fabricated a statement that the female occupant was beaten unconscious and the male occupant attacked him and grabbed a hold of his firearm causing it to discharge during the struggle.
[FOOTSTEPS] POLICE, OPEN THIS DOOR, LET ME SEE YOUR FUCKING [BANG!] RIGHT NOW!
Officer Christopher Wright was recorded by his partner Gerrit Markus. The audio recording irrefutably shows that within seconds of demanding the door be opened and while midsentence, Officer Christopher Wright's firearm discharges.
"He arrived at the scene and didn't talk to the local security guard who had just spoken to the occupant a minute earlier. He didn't notice that the inside of the home was visible through the back window and didn't hear anything from the back. He approached the front of the home and unlike the neighbors, heard screams for help coming from inside. He pounded on the door four or five times. The screams for help continued and he also heard an altercation. He tried to kick the door open three times while his gun was holstered. The woman's screams stopped and then the male occupant opens the door. The female is lying on the ground not moving unconscious and presumed to be dead. The occupant says "You mother fucker!" and rushes him yelling screaming and cursing. The occupant attacks him and was going kill him, kill his partner and then flee the scene. He draws his gun and there is a struggle with the occupant getting both hands on his gun. The struggle for his life occurs three or four feet outside the doorway and lasts six to ten seconds. He doesn't know how the gun went off, it must have gone off during the struggle. The male occupant gets shot and scrambles back into the house before collapsing to the ground. Then the female puts her head up so he knows she is alright."
"There was no exchange of words between Wright and my husband, and there was no attack or struggle."
"At that point I identified myself as a security officer, I let them know that I had made contact with the people..."
"I heard pounding on the door - a couple of poundings, and then a couple of seconds later I heard a 'pop'."
"It was pretty instantaneous 'Police, open the door', then a gunshot."
"Did you see any kind of struggle taking place between Kevin and the officers?"
"No, I didn't."
"I heard banging on the door ... and then soon after that I heard another 'pop'."