The explanation of the policeman who shot a man in a wheelchair

Video captures police shooting fatally a man in a wheelchair 1:38

(CNN) -

The Arizona police officer who shot and killed a man in a motorized wheelchair was carrying a stun gun, but made the decision to use his gun because the stun gun was not an option, the attorney for the official to CNN in an interview.

Video released by the Tucson Police Department of the incident that occurred Monday night shows that Officer Ryan Remington was several steps behind the man in the wheelchair. The latter was identified by police as Richard Lee Richards, 61. Remington asked Richards to stop before shooting nine times, hitting him in the back and side as the man made his way to a store, according to police.

During a phone interview Wednesday night, Michael Storie, Remington's attorney, said the distance between the suspect and the officer and the wheelchair would have rendered the deployment of a stun gun ineffective.

“You can't shoot him in the back with a stun gun.

It's not effective, ”Storie said.

“I couldn't run in front of him.

No agent would stand in front of a person who has a knife and can throw himself and stab him. "

"There are levels of strength," Storie added.

“I was trying to keep him under verbal orders.

He never expected me to try to get into the store and when he swerved to get in, he didn't have the stun gun option, "Storie said.

Tucson police officer fired who shot and killed man in wheelchair, authorities say

Police shot man in wheelchair

The Tucson Police Department released excerpts of three videos from Remington's surveillance video and body camera that police say shows Remington several steps behind Richards, following him and asking him to stop repeatedly before shooting nine times as he stood. headed to another store.

Storie said that the video released by the police was "truncated and edited" and that the pertinent parts were not provided, adding, "We do not have all the facts and we do not have all the information necessary to prosecute the officer."

Police declined to comment on Storie's claims, saying that because there is an ongoing criminal investigation into Remingston's actions, “we cannot comment further on this.

Once the investigation is complete, we will be able to review this, but as of now there is nothing more we can add at this time. "

TPD chief Chris Magnus said Remington's "lethal use of force in this incident is a clear violation of department policy and directly contradicts multiple aspects of our use of force training."

Tucson police fired the officer who appeared in the video in which he is seen fatally shooting a man in a motorized wheelchair, authorities said.