Mark Richards

August 21, 1987

Minneapolis

Richards was killed after by officers Jim Wilson and Pete Jackson, who said he was holding a pellet gun.  He had been trying to scare away a group of youth who were vandalizing his girlfriend's car.  Police claim they instructed him to drop the weapon but he was wearing earphones and likely did not hear them.  He was 25 years old.  His family criticized police for not firing a warning shot rather than killing him.