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Man killed by Long Beach police was holding a water nozzle, not a gun, police say
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-long-beach-shooting-20101214,0,2734214.story ^ | 14 December, 2010 | Nardine Saad

Posted on 12/15/2010 6:28:43 PM PST by marktwain

The 35-year-old Long Beach man killed in an officer-involved shooting Sunday was holding a pistol-grip water nozzle, not a gun, Long Beach police officials said Monday.

Two officers responded to a 911 call at 4:40 p.m. Sunday from a neighbor reporting an intoxicated man holding a "six-shooter" in the 5300 block of East Ocean Boulevard in the upscale Belmont Shore neighborhood.

"The officers had a position of cover and were observing the suspect while other officers were en route," said Sgt. Dina Zapalski, a spokeswoman for the Long Beach Police Department.

Zapalski said Douglas Zerby had been sitting on a stoop playing with what appeared to be a weapon and pointing it at objects as if it were a gun. He extended his arms and pointed in the direction of an officer. Police said they did not have time to make their presence known or to tell Zerby to drop the weapon before opening fire because they believed he was a threat.

(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: California
KEYWORDS: banglist; ca; donutwatch; douglaszerby; jbts; misconduct; police; splashlist
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It sounds as if they sneak up on this guy, who doesn't even know they are there, they see him point something sort of in their direction, and they shoot him down.

Another "Costco" sort of incident?

1 posted on 12/15/2010 6:28:52 PM PST by marktwain
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To: marktwain

Never bring a spray nozzle to a gun fight!!!!!


2 posted on 12/15/2010 6:32:14 PM PST by 9422WMR (Illegal is not a race)
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To: marktwain

Is the 911 caller in jail?


3 posted on 12/15/2010 6:32:29 PM PST by G Larry (When you're right, avoid compromise!)
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To: marktwain

Seven day waiting period when buying water nozzles from now on.


4 posted on 12/15/2010 6:33:12 PM PST by donhunt (I am sick and tired of those bastards insulting me.)
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To: marktwain

Related thread: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2642227/posts


5 posted on 12/15/2010 6:33:20 PM PST by BenLurkin (This post is not a statement of fact. It is merely a personal opinion -- or humor -- or both)
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To: 9422WMR

Never live in a town with trigger-happy cops.Some lawyer is gonna win the lottery on this one.


6 posted on 12/15/2010 6:37:19 PM PST by Farmer Dean (stop worrying about what they want to do to you,start thinking about what you want to do to them)
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To: marktwain

Did they kill the family dog?


7 posted on 12/15/2010 6:38:47 PM PST by ReverendJames (Only a lawyer and a painter can change black to white)
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To: marktwain

Death by waternozzle.


8 posted on 12/15/2010 6:39:59 PM PST by Beowulf9
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To: donhunt
Seven day waiting period when buying water nozzles from now on.

"Cooling down period."

9 posted on 12/15/2010 6:40:04 PM PST by Cobra64
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To: marktwain

>> Sunday from a neighbor reporting an intoxicated man holding a “six-shooter”

Set to Mist...

Idiots.


10 posted on 12/15/2010 6:41:52 PM PST by Gene Eric (Your Hope has been redistributed. Here's your Change.)
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To: marktwain

Sometimes profanity is just too weak.


11 posted on 12/15/2010 6:44:42 PM PST by Ronin ("Dismantle the TSA and send the screeners back to Wal-Mart.")
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To: marktwain

There was a time, many years ago, when police officers were familiar enough with weapons to be able to tell the difference between a handgun and something else. Hell, if I had dropped the hammer every time I had an excuse during my 23 year career, I’d have buried at least half a dozen folks that really didn’t need killing. That being said, I wouldn’t take the job today.


12 posted on 12/15/2010 6:48:48 PM PST by 230FMJ (...from my cold, dead, fingers.)
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To: ReverendJames

“Did they kill the family dog?”

No, but they trampeled the azaleas.


13 posted on 12/15/2010 6:50:37 PM PST by ought-six ( Multiculturalism is national suicide, and political correctness is the cyanide capsule.)
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To: marktwain

When I first heard this story it seemed reasonable. You just don’t point things that look like a firearm at cops.

This story puts a whole new angle on it.


14 posted on 12/15/2010 6:56:35 PM PST by driftdiver (I could eat it raw, but why do that when I have a fire.)
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To: marktwain

It would make sense if they had small binoculars in the squad car to use in such a case. If you are observing someone for a while from a distance, it would prevent situations like this.


15 posted on 12/15/2010 7:04:39 PM PST by Right Wing Assault (The Obama magic is <strike>fading</strike>gone.)
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To: ReverendJames
Did they kill the family dog?

I would bet good money that if a canine had appeared on the scene they would have gunned him down.

16 posted on 12/15/2010 7:09:04 PM PST by OldPossum
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To: marktwain

Once Again the LA Times misses the point,
The porch the man was sitting on was in an “Enclosed” courtyard, it was “Private Property”, he had every legal right to be there. The porch CANNOT be seen from ANY Public Easement,Right of Way, or Public Property of ANY KIND. Even If he did have a Gun, He COULD NOT BE CHARGED WITH A CRIME, HE Was Doing Nothing Illegal. There is no law against possessing a gun on Private Property, Concealed or Not if you a Legal Right to be there. Does everyone understand this now?? The Perpetrator who called 911 was from a building behind this one and upstairs looking down (peeping Tom), should have been told that possessing a gun on private property, not threatening anyone and doing nothing but sitting there, noticeably Drunk, IS NOT A CRIME, especially since the “gun” was in question on the 911 tape. So this nitwit 911 operator dispatches a Police Unit to investigate a NON CRIME. The Police Officers Had No Reasonable Suspicion a Crime was being committed or was about to. So what did they do? They sneaked into neighbors yards and peered thru Fences and pointed their weapons at him, by now they were about 10 feet away. They never Made any attempt to Identify themselves or even let their presence be known. You mean to tell me they couldn’t tell a water nozzle from a gun at ten feet??? So they OPENED FIRE and Executed him in Cold Blood.

If he did have a Gun and they did not kill him, HE COULD NOT HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH ANY CRIME,NOT EVEN A TICKET.

They Executed Him in Cold Blood for committing an act that was not a violation of ANY LAW, and no one has been arrested.


17 posted on 12/15/2010 7:10:40 PM PST by eyeamok
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To: eyeamok

Yep, the city will be paying *millions* on this one...

Tax payers get beat like a drum again...


18 posted on 12/15/2010 7:14:24 PM PST by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit.)
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To: G Larry

Two 911 callers.


19 posted on 12/15/2010 7:14:46 PM PST by BunnySlippers (I love BULL MARKETS . . .)
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To: driftdiver

so you think it is ok for the cops to sneak into your neighbors backyard and from behind cover and without warning of any kind , shoot and kill a man for holding a gun, not doing ANYTHING ILLEGAL OR WRONG on his own property, while you are HIDING????


20 posted on 12/15/2010 7:14:52 PM PST by eyeamok
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