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Tuesday, January 25, 2011
The LAPD took the life of 25 year old Reggie Doucet Jr. Like damn it seems that every opportunity that the LAPD has to shot someone they do. Reggie who was a model, fitness trainer and a former college football player lost his life after having a good time at a California night club.
Civil rights activists Saturday urged Los Angeles police Chief Charlie Beck to review policies for officers dealing with intoxicated or mentally disturbed people in light of the shooting death of a nearly naked man in Playa Vista early Friday.
Reggie Doucet Jr., 25, a former college football player, apparently got into a dispute with a cabbie bringing him home from a Hollywood club and stripped naked about 3 a.m. outside the Crescent Park West condominiums, where he reportedly lived.
When police arrived, they were able to get him to put on some boxer shorts, but he allegedly ran off. Officers confronted him in the doorway of a building, and Doucet allegedly started fighting with the officers. When he allegedly tried to grab an officer's gun, he was fatally shot.
"I heard them try to detain him and he would not comply and there was a fight, a physical fight, and then I heard two shots,'' neighbor Monica Vogelbacher said.
Doucet's sports agent said he was at a loss to explain what happened.
"Maybe he was belligerent, I don't know, but I have never seen him drunk. Never. Violent? Never," Chris Ellison told the Los Angeles Times. "He was an outstanding young man who was trying to make a better life."
The two officers who fought with Doucet were treated for minor injuries -- police said both suffered blows to the face -- and a squad car was destroyed in a crash in the 4200 block of Centinela Avenue as backup officers rushed to the scene.
Earl Ofari Hutchinson of the Los Angeles Urban Roundtable and Eddie Jones of the Los Angeles Civil Rights Association met with Doucet's friends, family and neighbors Saturday during a vigil at the site of the shooting and urged Beck to review Los Angeles Police Department policies for officers dealing with intoxicated or mentally disturbed people.
"Friends and neighbors of Doucet expressed shock and anger at the killing,'' Hutchinson said in a statement. "They want honest answers as to why LAPD had to resort to the use of deadly force with an unarmed suspect who may have had an emotional issue.''
Hutchinson's group intends to push for a meeting with Beck and a "fast track independent investigation into the Doucet slaying,'' he said.
In response, Paul Weber, president of the Los Angeles Police Protective League issued the following statement:
"The officer-involved shooting of Reggie Doucet Jr. involved two officers literally fighting for their lives against Mr. Doucet. It is surprising to see that the first reaction of respected community leader Earl Hutchinson is to question the actions of the police. Apparently, because a suspect is naked they aren't a threat.
"Tell that to the families of officers who have been killed by naked people on PCP who disarmed the officer. In this case, naked or not, when Mr. Doucet tried to take an officer's gun away from him, he set in motion the chain of events that sadly led to his death. An officer who loses his gun to a suspect loses his life.''
Weber said it is "disappointing that community leaders immediately and predictably turn to questioning and trying to blame the LAPD,'' and urged community members to listen to the radio traffic of one of the officers involved in the shooting "instead of attending the 'second guessing press conference.''' He said the clip, indicating the officer was in a fight for his life, could be found on YouTube.
"The cold, hard fact that community leaders should understand is that police officers don't get paid to be shot, stabbed or killed in the line of duty,'' Weber said. "As we have said before, if suspects refuse to comply with lawful commands and continue actions that endanger the life of an officer or member of the community, then that suspect is solely responsible for the outcome of those events.''
Police said although the LAPD's Force Investigation Division will examine what took place that night, "the Department is also open to reviewing policy and procedure.''
The Los Angeles Police Department released this statement:
"The LAPD is continuously looking at best practices in policing in
regards to policies, procedures and tactics involving the handling of calls related to persons initially perceived to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or having mental health illness issues. How LAPD officers deal with those persons in response to crisis situations, and the tactics officers use, are two areas that are constantly being reviewed.''
regards to policies, procedures and tactics involving the handling of calls related to persons initially perceived to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or having mental health illness issues. How LAPD officers deal with those persons in response to crisis situations, and the tactics officers use, are two areas that are constantly being reviewed.''
Doucet, about 6 feet and 190 pounds, played defensive back at El Camino College before he earned a scholarship to Middle State Tennessee University. He was raised in Prunedale, Calif., where he was a track and football star at North Monterey County High School.
Doucet had been working as a personal fitness trainer and part-time model, Ellison said. He was unmarried, but has a daughter who is 3 or 4 years old, Ellison told The Times. He also reportedly had been working as a nightclub promoter."What bothers me is that if he was naked, they knew for a fact that he didn't have any weapons on him,'' he said.(http://www.wavenewspapers.com/news/local/Reggie-Doucet-LAPD-shooting-113775884.html)
I am just thinking the same question that everyone is thinking and that is why would they shoot an unarmed man? They knew that he was under the influence so why would it even go that far. Also they knew that he didn't have a weapon due to the fact he was naked. I hope that Reggie gets Justice on his behalf because this story is not sounding right. RIP #27 Reggie Doucet Jr.
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