The shooting of former Possessed guitarist Brian Montana by a South San Francisco Police Department officer has been ruled “legally justifiable self-defense and defense of others.” The ruling, announced by the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office, concludes the investigation into the fatal incident that occurred on April 28. According to a statement from the District Attorney’s office, there is no legal basis to file criminal charges against Officer Jeffrey Lee, who was involved in the shooting.
The tragic events unfolded from a dispute between Montana and a neighbor over tree clippings. According to authorities, the argument escalated into a nearly half-hour shootout with police, during which the 60-year-old musician used three different firearms—a handgun, a shotgun, and a rifle—while taking cover behind parked cars and landscaping. He reportedly fired multiple times at officers. A statement from the South San Francisco Police Department said, “[Montana] fired multiple times at officers using a handgun, shotgun, and rifle … Officers used patrol cars as cover and returned fire. The suspect was struck and ultimately pronounced deceased at the scene.” One resident was injured but sustained non-life-threatening injuries, and no officers were harmed.
Following the news, Possessed frontman Jeff Becerra shared a heartfelt tribute to his former bandmate on the band’s official social media accounts. Becerra recalled Montana as a “very nice guy” and a “gentleman” with a lighthearted, jovial personality. “The Brian I know is from when we were still just kids back in the beginning of Possessed. He was nothing like what I’m seeing being written about him,” Becerra wrote. He also speculated that this difference in personality may have contributed to Montana‘s decision to leave the band early on. “He just wasn’t willing to be as dark as we wanted him to be at that time. We were going for that evil imagery, and Brian was just so lighthearted, even goofy in a good way.”
Becerra expressed his deep sadness over the loss, urging for respect for the Montana family during this difficult time. Montana was a crucial figure in the early days of death metal, having played on Possessed‘s 1984 demo, which is widely credited with coining the genre’s name. After his brief tenure with Possessed, he was replaced by Larry LaLonde, who would later join Primus.
