Douglas Mathew Zerby was killed in an officer-involved shooting. |
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VIDEO: Police Cleared in Fatal Shooting of Man Holding Water Nozzle - Olga Opina reports
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The water nozzle Douglas Zerby was carrying when he was fatally shot by Long Beach police.
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VIDEO: Autopsy Results in Long Beach Officer Shooting, Mary Beth McDade reports
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- VIDEO: Police admit they shot an unarmed man, Jim Nash reports
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LONG BEACH (KTLA) -- The Los Angeles district attorney's office announced Thursday that the two Long Beach police officers who shot and killed 35-year-old Douglas Zerby acted in self-defense.
The incident happened Dec. 12 in the 5300 block of Ocean Boulevard, near Glendora Avenue.
Zerby was shot several times by Long Beach police officers after they were called to investigate a report of a man with a gun.
The DA supports the findings of the Long Beach Police Department indicating that Zerby was in possession of an object believed by both residents and responding officers to be a firearm.
The two officers involved in the incident were identified as Officer Victor Ortiz, a 10-year veteran, and Officer Jeffrey Shurtleff, a six-year veteran.
The DA also supported the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office findings that Mr. Zerby's arms were consistent with someone having both arms extended straight out and pointing in the direction of Officer Ortiz at the time the shots were fired.
Zerby was pronounced dead at the scene.
Autopsy results revealed that Zerby was shot 12 times in the chest, arms and lower legs. He had a blood-alcohol level of 0.42% and had valium and THC in his system at the time of his death.
Zerby's family says it was a tragedy that could have been avoided.
"It all comes back to, you observed this man for almost eight minutes, and never once in that eight minutes did you think to identify yourself," Zerby's sister, Eden Marie Belle, told KTLA.
"There was no verbal communication, there was no eye contact. My brother did not know he was being observed. He did not know there were police on site."
Long Beach Police Chief Jim McDonnell said officers did not reveal they were there because they were waiting for backup and a mental evaluation team to arrive. When Zerby pointed an object toward officers, they felt threatened, because they did not realize it was really a water nozzle and not a handgun.
The family is currently pursuing civil litigation.
The incident happened Dec. 12 in the 5300 block of Ocean Boulevard, near Glendora Avenue.
Zerby was shot several times by Long Beach police officers after they were called to investigate a report of a man with a gun.
The DA supports the findings of the Long Beach Police Department indicating that Zerby was in possession of an object believed by both residents and responding officers to be a firearm.
The two officers involved in the incident were identified as Officer Victor Ortiz, a 10-year veteran, and Officer Jeffrey Shurtleff, a six-year veteran.
The DA also supported the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office findings that Mr. Zerby's arms were consistent with someone having both arms extended straight out and pointing in the direction of Officer Ortiz at the time the shots were fired.
Zerby was pronounced dead at the scene.
Autopsy results revealed that Zerby was shot 12 times in the chest, arms and lower legs. He had a blood-alcohol level of 0.42% and had valium and THC in his system at the time of his death.
Zerby's family says it was a tragedy that could have been avoided.
"It all comes back to, you observed this man for almost eight minutes, and never once in that eight minutes did you think to identify yourself," Zerby's sister, Eden Marie Belle, told KTLA.
"There was no verbal communication, there was no eye contact. My brother did not know he was being observed. He did not know there were police on site."
Long Beach Police Chief Jim McDonnell said officers did not reveal they were there because they were waiting for backup and a mental evaluation team to arrive. When Zerby pointed an object toward officers, they felt threatened, because they did not realize it was really a water nozzle and not a handgun.
The family is currently pursuing civil litigation.
