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Howard County prosecutors called the shooting "legally justified" based on the victim's actions, Bethesda Magazine reports. Later that week, the family of Ryan LeRoux filed a wrongful death and negligence lawsuit against the county and the four officers who shot their son, the outlet reports.
The lawsuit claims the responding officers neglected to acknowledge LeRoux's battle with mental health and that MCPD exhibits a pattern of using deadly force in these type of encounters. The lawsuit also claims the department failed to properly train their officers to handle situations with individuals who struggle with mental health.
"He is dead because instead of helping a young African-American male in the midst of a mental health crisis, four Montgomery County Police Department (“MCPD”) officers shot 23 bullets at him," the lawsuit reads. It also asks for compensatory and punitive damages but doesn't disclose specific amounts.
Ryan LeRoux was shot after police responded to a call about a trespasser at the McDonald’s located at 18273 Flower Hill Way around 9:15 p.m. on July 16, 2021, Montgomery County Police said. LeRoux reportedly refused to pay or move his car from the drive-through lane after ordering food, police said.
An officer saw LeRoux had a gun on the passenger seat of the vehicle and called for backup, police said. During an armed standoff, police tried to deescalate the situation through negotiation, but ultimately ended up firing their weapons and shot LeRoux.
At one point, officers claimed LeRoux "had allegedly just picked up the gun and pointed it, but that nobody knows where he put the gun afterward," according to court documents. One officer claimed he pointed it at her.
LeRoux died at an area hospital hours later. The officers involved were placed on administrative leave per the investigation, police said. They were Brooks Inman, Sara Vaughan, John Cerny and Romand Schmuck, Bethesda Magazine reports. Together they have a combined 58 years’ experience on the force.
LeRoux's death sparked outraged among the community with many taking to social media to express their thoughts and criticism of how police handled the situation.
Ryan's Father, Paul LeRoux, said his son was "in a bad place," according to NBC Washington. The young man was reportedly living out of his car and recently bought a gun for his protection. After watching police video of the incident, Paul LeRoux said police did not see a gun was in his son's hands, the outlet reports.
"They all unload on him and he supposedly raised a handgun," LeRoux told the outlet. "If you want to know my perspective, he raised his hands. He just raised his hands up. There’s nothing they’ve been able to show or prove that he raised his handgun. Nothing."
"FOUR TRAINED POLICE OFFICERS couldn’t subdue one man having a mental health crisis," one Facebook user wrote. "This is why mental health matters. This is why we need police reform."
A petition on Change.org was also launched in Ryan's name called "Help get justice for Ryan Leroux." It has been signed over 960 times. In addition, a GoFundMe in Ryan's honor entitled "We Miss You Ryan LeRoux, Police Shooting Victim" has collected over $5,400.
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