A San Diego officer has pleaded not guilty for fatally shooting a mentally ill man who escaped police custody.
Former deputy Aaron Russell, 23, was charged with second-degree murder for shooting Nicholas Bils, 36.
In May, Bils escaped from a California State Park Officer’s car right outside of the jail and was running away when he was shot by Russell, according to the San Diego Police Department.
Bils’ mother Kathleen told NBC 7 her son was a paranoid schizophrenic who was afraid of law enforcement.
Bils was reportedly shot four times, with one bullet grazing his side and the other three hitting him in his back and other parts of his body.
Officer Russell resigned from the sheriff’s department five days after the shooting on May 6. He was arrested on Monday and pleaded not guilty on Tuesday. Russell had only been with the department for 18 months when the shooting occurred.
“We reached the decision to file criminal charges following a thorough review of all the objective facts and evidence in this case by specialized prosecutors and investigators in our Special Operations Division,” San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan said. “When a life is taken, we must make decisions based in facts and law, and not ones that are influenced by the status of the accused as a peace officer nor the status of the victim. These decisions must be made solely in the interest of justice and not based on favoritism nor public opinion. Every person must be accountable under the law.”
Police said on the day of the incident, Bils was playing golf at the Old Town San Diego State Historic Park when rangers told him he couldn’t have his dog off the leash and that the park was closed due to COVID-19.
He allegedly swung the golf putter near the rangers and ran away. The rangers caught him and arrested him for assault with a deadly weapon. But he escaped from their truck, which led to the shooting.
Bils’ mother said she hopes “justice will be done soon.”
