Coroner’s Inquest Jury finds April 2021 death of Antioch man was suicide
Police and emergency responders at the scene of the suicide on Green Hill Way Thursday night, April 1, 2021. Herald file photo
By Jimmy Lee, Director of Public Affairs, Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff
Contra Costa County Sheriff-Coroner David Livingston announced on Friday, that a coroner’s jury reached a finding in the April 1, 2021 death of 61-year-old Jonathan Lynn Richardson of Antioch. The finding of the jury is that the manner of death is suicide. (See related article)
The coroner’s jury reached the verdict in the inquest after hearing the testimony of witnesses called by hearing officer Laura Pagey.
As previously reported, on April 1, 2021, at approximately 7:52 PM, Antioch police officers were dispatched to a residence on Valley Way for a 9-1-1 call regarding a family disturbance. The caller reported a male resident was armed with a firearm and suffering from some type of mental health crisis.
The male resident left the house with the firearm and drove away. Several officers responded to the area and located the victim driving in the neighborhood. The officers turned around and fell in behind the victim’s vehicle. Afterwards, the 61-year-old victim pulled to the side of the road, exited his vehicle, and shot himself.
A coroner’s inquest, which Sheriff-Coroner David Livingston convenes in fatal incidents involving law enforcement personnel, is a public hearing during which a jury rules on the manner of a person’s death. Jury members can choose from the following four options when making their finding: Accident, Suicide, Natural Causes or At the hands of another person, other than by accident.
Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.
