Long Beach has been known for some for unusually agressive policing and use of force incidents, including the infamous Doug Zerby shooting. Mr Zerby was waiting for a ride home at a friends house and was holding a water nozzle when Long Beach police infiltrated bushes behind him and opened fire after getting a report of “a man with a gun”. Mr Zerby apparantly never knew police where nearby and he was never given any verbal commands before he died. His estate was awarded 6.5 million in a lawsuit last year, which the city is appealing.

Today, we hear of a teen graffit tagger in critical condition after being shot by Long Beach police.

Police in Long Beach shot and critically wounded a 19-year-old man Thursday afternoon at an apartment where a group of people were reportedly spraying graffiti, authorities said..

Officers were called to the 1100 block of Hoffman Avenue after being alerted to several people trespassing and tagging an empty apartment, said Long Beach Police Sgt. Megan Zabel.

An officer saw a man inside the apartment and opened fire, Zabel said. The man was hit by an unknown number of bullets and hospitalized in critical condition.
His name was not released. It was unclear what immediately preceded the shooting.

Long Beach police are investigating the incident, Zabel said. The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office is conducting a separate, independent investigation, which is customary in all officer-involved shootings.

Nice use of the passive “hit by an unknown number of bullets”, like they were a wandering swarm of insects looking to sting somebody at random.

10 to 1 the officer says the kid reached for a weapon at his wasteband, or pointed something looking like a weapon and he “was afraid for his life”…because these guys have been filled with hours of videos showing them how every “civilian” out there is a potential mutant wastelend murderer right out of a Mad Max movie waiting to ambush them.

Something needs to change. Now.

Tagging an empty apartment shouldn’t be a potential death sentence. Opening the door while holding a wii remote shouldn’t be an actual death sentence. Riding a bike and holding a cell phone shouldn’t be a potential death sentence. Getting your crutch out of your truck shouldn’t be a potential death sentence. Getting your wallet out of your car shouldn’t be a potential death sentence.

I am getting sick of posting these things, and I actually can no longer keep straight who died what day and where.

When force protection becomes prioritized over public safety…the public becomes victims that can be exploited instead of citizens to be protected.