A coroner’s inquest into the shooting death of a Moraga man outside his Donald Drive home has determined that Scott Rickman took his own life as police officers attempted to negotiate with him.
The December 2, 2015 incident shut down most of Donald Drive and stunned a community unused to gun violence. Moraga police had responded to requests for a welfare check at Rickman’s home that day and “found him in front of his house armed with a handgun.”
Officers were in the process of negotiating with Rickman when he shot himself as they looked on.
Rickman, who was reportedly despondent about financial troubles, was transported to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek where he was pronounced dead. The coroner’s jury reached a verdict after hearing the testimony of witnesses called by the hearing officer, Matt Guichard.
That was a very sad and disturbing day.
That couldn’t have been a nice thing to see for those officers.