Prosecutor: Ex-N.J. man was masturbating, solicited sex from officer prior to fatal park shooting

NJ.com ^ | July 21, 2010 | Alexi Friedman

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DeFarra "Dean" Gaymon was shot and killed Friday in Branch Brook Park by an Essex County sheriff's detective investigating reports of public sex. Prosecutors said Gaymon approached an undercover detective while masturbating and propositioned the officer.

NEWARK — The Atlanta CEO and ex-Montclair resident killed Friday in Newark's Branch Brook Park was masturbating and propositioned an undercover Essex County sheriff's detective before a confrontation that led to the fatal shooting, authorities said.

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began to retrace his steps

Slowly I turned, step by step...

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I would never take a cops word for it.

Neither would I. A guy is going to attack a cop while he has his johnson in hand?

He, (Gaymon), probably thought he was about to be "jacked", (that means robbed for those in Rio Linda), and was probably reaching for his wallet.

That I could believe.

[Slings and Arrows]

He came and went at the same time?

[paddles]

wow. toe-tagged for waxing his cat.

i'll bet the cop's gonna take serious heat for the rest of his career."Good thing he didn't shoot back, Barney!"

[metmom]

I don’t want to even imagine.

That said, I’m going to guess that it was justifiable.

[Clemenza]

Doesn’t surprise me that this happened in beautiful Branch Brook Park. In addition to being, like so many parks, a major “cruising” spot for gay men, the park is so large that it is fairly easy to hide, even in the open, as there are portions where you can walk for awhile without seeing another human being.

[Blue Jays]

One wonders why they were using undercover officers?
If the goal is to discourage certain behavior, simply put uniformed officers on a walking beat and in marked squad cars throughout the park.
There certainly wasn't a need for secrecy.