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Show ScuUle Over Gun Results in Death For California PAan on Interstate A California man was dead and a Utah Highway Patrolman Patrol-man was hospitalized with injuries in Moab Wednesday night folwoing an incident on 1-70 around 5 p.m. that day, 2 miles east of Crescent Junction. Junc-tion. Trooper Barney reported later that he had stopped two individuals in a 1976 Dodge for speeding just after 5 p.m. Wednesday. He saw a quantity quan-tity of marijuana in the vehicle, and had the occupants get out of the car to charge them with possession of a controlled substance. A man later identified as Tony Ray Richardson, 26, Pomona, Calif., who was driver of the vehicle, acted like he was going to fall. Trooper Barney tried to catch him when Richardson turned on him, slugged him, and knocked knock-ed him down. He started to get back up, throwing both hands up to protect himself, and the man crashed his knees into Barney's chest. In the fight for Barney's gun, Richardson had gotten it, and Barney deflected it from himself. It discharged into Richardson's lower abdomen, abdo-men, caused powder burns to Barney's hand. The Grand County ambulance ambu-lance was immediately summoned; sum-moned; broke down on the way and a replacement sent. The injured man was rushed to the Allen Memorial Hospital in Moab where he died about one and a half hours later. Barney was hospitalized with a severe bite on his left hand, powder burns, and bruises to his chest and face. With Richardson in the vehicle was a hitchhiker, William Owen Butman, 19, Readfield, Maine, who was held as a material witness and also on charges of possession of marijuana. That he was, in fact, a hitchhiker was confirmed confirm-ed by a ticket he received for hitchhiking in California earlier earl-ier in the week. In a deposition made by Butman in Moab Tuesday of this week, he supported Barney's description descrip-tion of what happened along the Interstate, according to Lt. Frank Whipple of the Utah Highway Patrol. Tony Ray Richardson was identified by fingerprints. He had jumped $10,000 bail on armed robbery charges in California, and was reportedly wanted in a number of other states also. The vehicle was identified as belonging to Ruth Farmer, Pomona, who told Sheriff W. H. Bowman she was an aunt of Richardson. Richard-son. She also indicated she had loaned the car to him several days before for an evening, and that he had failed to bring it back. "Our investigation shows the death was caused in the line of duty as the officer was kicked, beaten and bitten and the gun discharged when Richardson was trying to get it from the officer," stated Sheriff Bowman. Grand County Attorney William Wil-liam Benge held an inquiry , into the death of Tony A. Richardson on June 8 pursuant to Section 26-20-11 of the Utah Code. Following the inquiry GRAN0 C0UW - . rr- , if -.'"'. ' T: ;A-r'Z:-'?'ZZ--Z.: 'yZZ -Zf"'' --z,:m ?:rKi J-&fK&tf ' ' :12 k , Z--- '-'r -. .-: Grand County ambulance waits to load wounded Tony Ray Richardson before rushing him to Moab for treatment following fight and shooting on 1-70 late last Wednesday. The man later died from a gunshot wound in the lower abdomen. Mr. Benge said, "Several witnesses were examined under un-der oath, including a passenger passen-ger with Mr. Richardson at the time. Statements were taken down by the county recorder and it is my conclusion that Mr. Richardson's death was not caused by unlawful means and, as far as the County Attorney's Office is concerned, concern-ed, the matter is closed." |