Former Dallas officer Bryan Riser released from jail; judge rules no probable cause for capital murder charges
Bryan Riser s wife and attorney believe that banking records and other evidence they ve gathered will be key to exonerating him. Author: Tanya Eiserer Updated: 11:22 PM CDT April 7, 2021
DALLAS
Updated at 10:50 p.m. Editor s note: This story previously misidentified the district attorney at the hearing.
Former Dallas police officer Bryan Riser was released from jail Wednesday afternoon wearing the same red shirt as he did when he was booked in a month ago.
Riser was released around 4:50 p.m. and several journalists were waiting outside the courts and jail building.
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“We have an obligation under the U.S Constitution, under the Texas Constitution, under the Code of Criminal Procedure, under our duty as prosecutors to see that justice is done. If we get to a point in any case, no matter who the defendant is, no matter who the witnesses are, that we feel there is insufficient probable cause, we have to alert the defense and alert the court. We have to do something. We can’t just sit by, said prosecutor Jason Fine, during the hearing. Capital murder charges against a former dallas police officer have been dropped. NBC 5 reporter Jack Highberger was in court and outside the jail as the former officer was released.
By Celine Castronuovo - 04/07/21 04:56 PM EDT
A Dallas judge on Wednesday ordered the release of a former police officer who was charged with two counts of capital murder last month, ruling that there was not enough evidence to prosecute the ex-cop in connection with two separate 2017 killings.
Dallas County Criminal Court Judge Audrey Moorehead announced the decision in a Wednesday morning hearing, siding with prosecutors who argued there was not sufficient probable cause to bring a case against Bryan Riser, according to The Associated Press.
Riser, a 13-year veteran of the Dallas Police Department, was fired and charged by his colleagues last month over two murder-for-hire killings that police said were unrelated to his work.
During a hearing Wednesday to decide whether the case should go forward to a grand jury to consider an indictment, prosecutors disagreed with the detective’s assessment that they had enough evidence to prosecute.
“Where we stand as a district attorney’s office right now today, we do not feel there’s sufficient probable cause for this case,” Dallas County prosecutor Jason Fine told the judge.
An exchange between Fine and homicide Detective Esteban Montenegro in court revealed that police and prosecutors first discussed the case in December 2019, but that prosecutors didn’t think police had a solid case. Fine also said that prosecutors told police in March that they still didn’t think there was enough evidence.