Police Defend Fatal Shooting of Naked Man in Playa Vista
Witnesses say the man stripped off his clothes and ran around naked.
 Reggie Doucet (MTSU) |
PLAYA VISTA, Calif. ( KTLA) -- The Los Angeles Police Department is defending officers who fatally shot a man during a struggle, after he stripped and caused an early morning disturbance in the Playa Vista area.
Police say 25-year-old Reggie Doucet, a former football player at Middle Tennessee State University, repeatedly punched the officers and tried to take their guns.
Paul Weber, president of the LA police union, said in a statement Saturday that the officers were "fighting for their lives" when they opened fire.
But civil rights groups contend they could have used non-lethal means to subdue Ducet. They're calling on LAPD Chief Charlie Beck to review the department's training and tactics in dealing with unarmed suspects.
The shooting happened just after 3 a.m. Friday in the 5600 block of Crescent Way West after LAPD officers responded to a disturbing the peace call.
The man, identified as Reggie Doucet, apparently took a taxi to the location, began stripping off his clothing and running around naked.
A witness said she heard screaming and commotion outside her window as police chased after the naked suspect. At some point, the suspect put on boxers.
"I heard them try to detain him and he would not comply; and there was a fight, a physical fight," she said.
She then heard two gunshots.
Doucet was struck and rushed to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead, officials said.
Police say he was a resident of the condominium complex.
Doucet's neighbor Chris Ellison said the former quarterback for Middle Tennessee State University was never violent in the seven years they were neighbors.
Doucet, who played corner back, played on MTSU's Motor City Bowl team.
He started five games and played in all 13 games in 2006 with a career-high 40 tackles and three interceptions.
No comments:
Post a Comment