Police: "OMGZ! This Man is Holding A Water Hose!! SHOOT HIM!!"

yizuman

yizuman

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LONG BEACH, Calif. – Angry relatives of a man shot to death by police who apparently mistook a pistol-grip water nozzle he held for a gun are lashing out at officers, saying they made no effort to contact him before opening fire.

However, police officials say Douglas Zerby's behavior prompted the officers' response.

"As the subject was in a seated position, he used a two-handed pistol-grip hold on an object with his arms fully extended," Long Beach Police Chief Jim McDonnell said. "Somebody that is impaired and waving what appears to witnesses and police to be a handgun. That's what the officers were faced with."

Zerby pointed it at one of the officers and two officers fired their weapons, a handgun and a shotgun. A total of eight shots were fired — two from shot guns and six from a handgun, McDonnell said.

Zerby's sister, Eden Marie Biele, said officers made no attempt to talk to her 35-year-old brother or get his attention before shooting him to death.

"They didn't say 'Put your hands up' or 'Freeze' or anything," Biele told The Associated Press Monday. "He was killed in cold blood."

Biele was among the family members whose sobs were heard among McDonnell's explanations of the events leading to Zerby's death on Sunday.

"This is a very unfortunate set of circumstances and leaves the family to deal with it here," McDonnell said, offering his condolences to the Zerby family.

The Long Beach officers were dispatched to an apartment building after two people reported a man with a gun sitting on a backyard porch landing, McDonnell said. In an excerpt of a 911 call played for reporters, a male caller said the man appeared to have a "tiny six-shooter."

McDonnell said the officers took positions to observe Zerby, who appeared intoxicated, and believed he had a gun as described by the callers, but focused on setting up containment of the area rather than contacting him.

As officers awaited requested backup units, the man pointed the object at apartments and played with it, causing it to make sounds similar to those of a gun being handled, he said.

Both officers were placed on administrative leave, a standard move after a police shooting.

Biele said the family is considering legal action over the shooting.

She said Zerby, who had an 8-year-old son, had been drinking and rather than drive home, went to his friend's place and was waiting on the stairs for him to come home.

"He never knew there was a problem. Police snuck down the corridor and shot him," Biele said. "He was a drunk sitting on a stoop fumbling with a hose nozzle."
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Source: Shooting of man holding water nozzle angers family - Yahoo! News

Police sanctioned murder, at it's finest....

Yiz
 
"Somebody that is impaired and waving what appears to witnesses and police to be a handgun. That's what the officers were faced with."
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The Long Beach officers were dispatched to an apartment building after two people reported a man with a gun sitting on a backyard porch landing, McDonnell said. In an excerpt of a 911 call played for reporters, a male caller said the man appeared to have a "tiny six-shooter."
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I'd do same as police officer.

idiocy at its finest.... these drunks :roll:
 
If you don't want to be shot, don't act suspicious or bring attention to yourself, and don't have any weapons on you or anything that even remotely resembles a weapon. I am sorry this happened. There were mistakes made on both sides that led up to this tragic ending.
 
Dixie said:
If you don't want to be shot, don't act suspicious or bring attention to yourself, and don't have any weapons on you or anything that even remotely resembles a weapon. I am sorry this happened. There were mistakes made on both sides that led up to this tragic ending.
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there was no mistake on other side though.
 
The mistake on part of police officers was that they were going on "it looks like a tiny six-shooter" and no actual reports of gunfire from surrounding neighbors. They also stated they observed him and he appeared intoxicated, which means they had sat there long enough to determine that no shots were being fired and secondly to warn the man to put the weapon down and show his hands. I understand that police shoot to kill, they take no warning shots. That was the mistake, the police should have made their presence known and warned the man to put the 'weapon' down. Most police departments use gunfire only as an absolute last resort when actual shots have been fired. IE - if the suspect fires, the police immediately fire. In this case they had observed him long enough to determine he was intoxicated and therefore should have also observed that no shots were being fired. Just my two cents on it.
 
Dixie said:
The mistake on part of police officers was that they were going on "it looks like a tiny six-shooter" and no actual reports of gunfire from surrounding neighbors. They also stated they observed him and he appeared intoxicated, which means they had sat there long enough to determine that no shots were being fired and secondly to warn the man to put the weapon down and show his hands. I understand that police shoot to kill, they take no warning shots. That was the mistake, the police should have made their presence known and warned the man to put the 'weapon' down. Most police departments use gunfire only as an absolute last resort when actual shots have been fired. IE - if the suspect fires, the police immediately fire. In this case they had observed him long enough to determine he was intoxicated and therefore should have also observed that no shots were being fired. Just my two cents on it.
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the police procedure allows police officer to shoot in defense even if the suspect did not shoot first. this has been that way for hundreds of years.
 
Horror stories

yizuman said:
Source: Shooting of man holding water nozzle angers family - Yahoo! News

Police sanctioned murder, at it's finest....

Yiz
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In Oakland, CA on NYE a few years back the police shot and killed guy who was just sitting. The whole thing was caught on several camera phones and caused a HELL OF A scandal! The policemen weren't punished- or just barley. Less than a slap on the wrist.

Also in Oakland, a few years ago, two night policemen were patrolling a neighborhood.. Not a very good one, at that. In the distance, they saw a young man waving something and running towards them. They yelled at him to stop but he didn't. He continued to run to them waving what looked like a gun and they shot and killed him.
Upon closer inspection and investigation, they discovered that the young man was 15 years old, severely autistic, adored the police, and the gun was a toy- given to him to make him feel like a policeman. The young boy's aunt told the police department that she thinks the boy saw the police and became excited and wanted to meet them. In the darkness and in a bad neighborhood, the police reacted instinctively, correctly, and as any of us would have. It's sad. :|
 
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The Highlander said:
Too much. Just shoot his leg and that's it.
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I agree that it's too much, but to shoot at his legs is a tad unrealistic. It's difficult to aim at something that's probably skinny and moving.
Plus, IF the person "attacking" the police will probably continue to do so after their legs have been shot.
I say the police need to use their electric gun more.
 
warpedpink said:
I agree that it's too much, but to shoot at his legs is a tad unrealistic. It's difficult to aim at something that's probably skinny and moving.
Plus, IF the person "attacking" the police will probably continue to do so after their legs have been shot.
I say the police need to use their electric gun more.
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electric gun. you must be referring to tazer. not all police officers are equipped with tazer but if they are - they have to be certified and trained to use tazer.

and not all police officers have tazer guns because the town either can't afford it or has no needs for it.
 
Jiro said:
electric gun. you must be referring to tazer. not all police officers are equipped with tazer but if they are - they have to be certified and trained to use tazer.

and not all police officers have tazer guns because the town either can't afford it or has no needs for it.
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Quiet, you!! :bump:
 
warpedpink said:
Quiet, you!! :bump:
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:nana:

the funny thing is.... let us assume that the officer did use tazer in this case but the suspect died. now what? we'll have a thread saying that we should ban tazer or that officer should not be trigger-happy in using tazer gun :dunno:

so I stand by my previous post - there is no mistake in cop's part. I'd do same.
 
Jiro said:
:nana:

the funny thing is.... let us assume that the officer did use tazer in this case but the suspect died. now what? we'll have a thread saying that we should ban tazer or that officer should not be trigger-happy in using tazer gun :dunno:

so I stand by my previous post - there is no mistake in cop's part. I'd do same.
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When and if that happens, we'll bring the lasso back. :cool:
 
since this happened in California... that just reminded me of Oscar Grant.

To recap - Oscar Grant was shot in the back by BART cop. He was handcuffed and was on the ground. The officer shot at his back cuz he claimed that he mistook his gun for tazer gun. He was recently found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and he's sentenced to minimum of 2-years in prison (with eligibility of parole in 7 months).
 
How about one of those old Gladiator nets? Y'know, throw it on top of the dude and see if he tangles himself up.

Seems pretty reckless to fire that many shots when (yes, even a SINGLE bullet to the LEG) none were really *required*.

:hmm: maybe they did shoot him in the leg once, went "oops, that's a beer bottle, replace that with a garden hose and shoot him a bunch of times".

It stinks.
 
Jiro said:
since this happened in California... that just reminded me of Oscar Grant.

To recap - Oscar Grant was shot in the back by BART cop. He was handcuffed and was on the ground. The officer shot at his back cuz he claimed that he mistook his gun for tazer gun. He was recently found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and he's sentenced to minimum of 2-years in prison (with eligibility of parole in 7 months).
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hmm any chance we're talking about the same thing? see my above post. I think you added details. :)
warpedpink said:
In Oakland, CA on NYE a few years back the police shot and killed guy who was just sitting. The whole thing was caught on several camera phones and caused a HELL OF A scandal! The policemen weren't punished- or just barley. Less than a slap on the wrist.

Also in Oakland, a few years ago, two night policemen were patrolling a neighborhood.. Not a very good one, at that. In the distance, they saw a young man waving something and running towards them. They yelled at him to stop but he didn't. He continued to run to them waving what looked like a gun and they shot and killed him.
Upon closer inspection and investigation, they discovered that the young man was 15 years old, severely autistic, adored the police, and the gun was a toy- given to him to make him feel like a policeman. The young boy's aunt told the police department that she thinks the boy saw the police and became excited and wanted to meet them. In the darkness and in a bad neighborhood, the police reacted instinctively, correctly, and as any of us would have. It's sad. :|
Click to expand...
 
Jiro said:
since this happened in California... that just reminded me of Oscar Grant.

To recap - Oscar Grant was shot in the back by BART cop. He was handcuffed and was on the ground. The officer shot at his back cuz he claimed that he mistook his gun for tazer gun. He was recently found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and he's sentenced to minimum of 2-years in prison (with eligibility of parole in 7 months).
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yeah that was a big deal. I worked a wee bit with law enforcement and have been friends with dudes that hold major grudges against them.

Sucks. I don't think the 2 years is really the "Right" amount. The video seemed clear that it was more than that.
 
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