VIDEO: Zerby Family Calls For Justice Outside Police Headquarters

Details: By Ryan ZumMallen; | Wednesday, 12 January 2011 23:30

UPDATE Thursday | Click the player below to watch video of the protests and speeches held outside Long Beach Police Department headquarters on Tuesday night by family and supporters of Doug Zerby.

Photos by Daniel DeBoom

Wednesday | The family and supporters of 35-year old Douglas Zerby, who was shot and killed by Long Beach Police officers in December 2010 when they believed the water nozzle he held was a gun, staged a protest and called for justice outside of LBPD headquarters in downtown Long Beach on Tuesday evening.

The family says that they have been blocked from obtaining facts about Zerby's death and have no access to autopsy results. Some community groups spoke in support and demanded prosecution of the officers who fired their weapons on Zerby as he sat in an apartment courtyard. The family's attorney Brian Claypool said that he has reached out to City Councilmembers about agendizing time for members of the community to speak on the tragedy but was denied.

Long Beach Police Chief Jim McDonnell issued the following statement concerning the protest.

"The ongoing investigation and pending civil litigation would preclude the City of Long Beach from releasing any additional information regarding this case in any forum at this time," McDonnell said.

“Holds placed on cases with the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office by the Homicide Detail are a matter of routine with officer involved shootings, murder investigations, undetermined deaths and in-custody deaths. The Coroner's Office releasing findings prior to the conclusion of the investigation could potentially jeopardize a complete and thorough investigation."

Video and more coverage to come...

Attorney Brian Claypool speaks on behalf of the Zerby family.

Eden Marie Biele, Zerby's sister, addresses the crowd.

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Archived Comments (39)

Justice 4 All

I think everyone would be shocked if they knew how many people were mistreated by police including myself in long beach. I truely hope the police that did this go to prison and let it be an example to other police that use there badge to bully people.

Bert W.

I truly very sorry for the Zerby family's loss. It is indeed a tragedy. But, I have had just about enough of their grandstanding. The guy pointed a weapon look-alike at a police officer.

CSULB Student

I hope this case makes some progress soon. Although nothing will bring back Mr. Zerby, the family needs some sense of justice in order to feel resolved and at peace. Condolences to the family. I'm sorry one group of police officers made a huge mistake.

Paul

The fact that this Department has lowered itself to the point of asking for money to put on a uniform indicates an out of touch contact with reality. One can only speculate about the Zerby case, but alternative ways of policing need to be looked at.

Give Me A Break

The City should release as little information as legally possible. Why would you do otherwise when you are being sued? Anyway, why does the family need the autopsy report? The cause of death is evident. The family should have been as invloved in helping the guy stay sober as they are now trying to extract a huge settlement from the city.

CSULB Guy

It seems pretty obvious that the people who think this guy "got what he deserved" are in someway related to the problem. Either they are the Officers, their families, or other people involved in the cover up. A real citizen would show some compassion and empathy or this man. He was drunk - that's it. Lot's of people are every weekend in that very vicinity. As for the person who suggest that he pointed the water nozzle (which by the way from the daylight that was available they should have known was a water nozzle). They have pretty much proven that to be a lie. If the Long Beach Police was telling the truth, why is the evidence being withheld? It's public information. They will get it eventually. But our corrupt Government needs to have the information first so they can concoct a story to match it showing justification for the unjustifiable. PLEASE. Show some compassion for this family. Look around at yours. Do they drink? Would you want to see them dead tomorrow after doing nothing wrong?

BeachBob

The police watched him without identifying themselves. That's stalking. They shot him with a garden hose nozzle in his hand. That's murder. Murder is a capital offense. Those cops need to face a jury of their peers and let the facts be decided in a criminal court.

D. Hackett

@ Bert W, he did NOT point anything AT a police officer as there were not any police officers in front of him to point at (they were hidden per the police chiefs statement and the mounting evidence) and no one has told the family ANYTHING, is it too much to ask for answers? Put yourself in the position where a family member is murdered and that is all you get a dead brother, husband or father with NO answers and NO closure. Grandstanding? Moron.

JusticeMustBeServed

The Zerby family should continue grandstanding, speaking out, rallying, screaming, and talking to anyone who will listen. Their loved one was shot in cold blood and now there is a cone of silence over the City of LB. Grandstanding is the only thing they can do to put pressure on the LBPD and to bring attention to this horrible tragedy. Why do they need the autopsy? Because it will show exactly how many bullets struck him and from what type of weapons, which is something widely disputed betweenn the family, eyewitnesses and police dept. AND THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO IT YOU IDIOT. He was there family member. What right does the city have to not release it. They are trying to cover their own butts and thats why it's being sealed. Really..are you that ignorant? And the autopsy will show if in fact the story the police are telling about him allegedly pointing the water nozzle at the invisible officers hiding happened at all. Which the family and attorney have publicly stated is impossible due to the way his body was struck when he was shot. SO DUH> The autopsy is important and is another nail in the LBPD'S coffin of guilt.

A horrible mistake

I don't care what the circumstance, police officers should never be in a position where they have opened fire on an unsuspecting citizen without having taken an available opportunity to identify themselves, and to contain the situation without deadly force. The fact that they never gave this guy a chance to understand who they were, to understand the deadly and precarious situation he was in, and most importantly to instruct him to drop the sprinkler and get on the ground is a huge mistake that the City of Long Beach is going to pay dearly for when this goes to civil trial. Bottom line is their officers messed up big time and an innocent man is dead as a result. It's a terrible tragedy for his family, for the city and for lbpd, but lessons must be taken from this so that future tragedies of this nature can be avoided...as there but by the grace of god go any one of us.

Mike Ruehle

According to Police Chief McDonnell, it is ROUTINE for the police to withhold information on officer-involved shootings. What part of the police killing an unarmed man is ROUTINE? Maybe its time to break that ROUTINE and require the police to release the names of the officers, the autopsy results and the police report. The longer the police take, the more culpable they appear.

Belmont Bob

People are showing remorse for the family and Zarbys death wich is undserstandable, however remorse and concern should also be shown for the police officers in this situation. They have to live with the fact that they shot someone who appeared to be a threat, and appeared to have a weapon. As it turns out it was only a hose nossle. These officers have to live with that for the rest of their lives. The local protesters should show a little compassion for the officers.

Donna Burns

BertW I am wondering how you KNOW that Doug Zerby pointed a weapon look-alike at the police officers ? There have been several accounts of what happened and the only ones saying he pointed a gun at them are the cops.
And if you heard the early reports, they weren't telling that version at all. I think it was the next day they changed their story at the press conference. The attorney for the family stated that after viewing Doug Zerbys body, there would be no way Doug could have had both his arms up in that manner because he was shot three times, in a straight line down the center of his sternum. There are witnesses to this shooting, so maybe when the trial starts all this can be made public. The Zerby family is not "grandstanding", they are grieving the death of their family member and they want answers. That is THEIR RIGHT ! If you have had enough of them, you really don't have to read any articles or watch any news casts, that is YOUR RIGHT.

Jay

Someone please tell me why publicizing the officers' names is so important.
And don't just say "it's public information" because if it was, and the Zerby attorney was earning his $, the names would have been released.

Mike Ruehle

I'm curious to learn how many times Zerby was shot in the back.

Mike Ruehle

When the Long Beach Police Officer mowed down and killed the mother of 3 young children in a cross walk on Ocean Blvd in 2006, the police officer returned to work his normal shift the very next night. This was after the officer and the police department brass lied to the press about the circumstances of the killing which later came out in the family's law suit against the city. THE LONG BEACH COPS KILLED AN INNOCENT WOMAN AND THEN LIED ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED. Isn't that good enough reason to have Zerby's information released? Furthermore, it doesn't cause me to have much sympathy for the cop who lied about the killing and had no problem returning to work the next night. And us taxpayer's paid the $millions in the settlement to the family in order for the city to sweep it under the rug. When's it going to stop?

AnotherLBResident

I wish everyone would settle down and let justice take its course. The demonstrations and grandstanding serve absolutely no useful purpose other than to promote hate.

LB Resident

I cannot believe if LBPD and LB city council try to "sink" the case. Killers of innocent must be brought to JUSTICE regardless who they are!!!!

Mafia in Blue Uniform

As US Marine Corps Infantry, this event sad and upset at the same time to see how low our uniform policeman behave with our fellow citizen. Even in the battlefield, we are NOT allowed to shoot unless being shot at, it is called 'Rules of Engagement'. So why LB Police get to shoot someone with a nozzle hose and shot him multiple time, excessively.
The defense argument that they can't see it clearly is a big BS and lie, they can easily identify it by using binocular or similar tool.
Throw the policeman in the jail. Let him taste the justice he claimed to be serving.!!!

Seriously?

What world are you guys living in? "The fact that this Department has lowered itself to the point of asking for money to put on a uniform" SERIOUSLY? You would ask someone to put their life on the line for nothing? Just because? And it's unfair to ask for money to do that? Would you do your job for free? Have you ever asked for a raise? Asking them to do their job for free is a joke. And an insult to them. "He was drunk - that's it." This is just as crazy. When you drink you are still responsible for your actions. You drink and drive. Responsible. You drink and drive and kill someone in a car accident. Still responsible. You drink and point a gun like object at a police officer in low light after they have been told there is a gun. You are responsible for your own actions. Saying the police were hidden is outrageous. I welcome the person that is willing to hide behind a bbq and hope that they don't get shot. Even if they don't get hit by a bullet what about getting hit by a piece of metal that has been dislodged by the bullet. Oh yeah and you guys want them to do that for free.

The other problem with all this outrage is that the next time some guy with a real gun starts shooting people the cops will get creamed for not doing enough. Damned if they do and damned if they don't. And to expect them to make those split second decisions for free? Genius.

This family and most of these posts are so far out of bounds it's outrageous. I sincerely hope when you need the cops they take their sweet time and aren't there when you need them.

But I'm guessing you will get on here and complain again though.

Amy

Everyone needs to STOP jumping to conclusions and basing their opinions ON opinions. Everyone is making comments and pointing fingers when they do NOT have the facts. If you were not physically there as a witness of the actual situation, your opinions and comments are unjustified. It's incredibly sad how our society reacts to everything.

CSULB Guy

It would be nice to let Justice take it's course. However, if the corrupt system is hiding all the facts, how can it?

vad

One reason why autopsy is very important is to find out from how many directions he was shot at. If he was shot from several directions, then Zerby's pointing the gun "in their direction" as the reason to fire, is a lie, and police in fact started shooting all simultaneously, on command. I remember it was stated at some point that they were hiding in more than one place around him, so if they all shot at once, it could be only by radio command.

I agree w/ give me a brea

If the family had spent this moch time and effort in helping him with his drinking problem, maybe this would not have happened.
They sure seem to have alot of time now.

All you stop and think for a minute, try and put yourself in the cops shoes. Not so easy to make a split second decision.

Biased Reporting?

The video was EDITIED to show a political point of view . . . it was reported with a bias . . . PROOF: the audio at the end of the clip! Also, it was reported that 50 people showed up (out of the 500,000 that live in Long Beach, that's like 0.0000001% of Long Beach . . . not much support is it????) . . . had the family intervened and placed Doug in Re-Hab for his well documented drinking problem, this never would have happened . . . just like the Tragedy in Tucson . . . no one will do what is best even when there is ample evidence that Doug needed help with alcoholism and the family of the shooter in Tucson needed mental health care.

Why so Much?

I'm sure the family knows where Mr. Zerby consumed the excessive alcohol that he did. Why aren't they suing the purveyor who routinely caused his drunken state?

Mike Ruehle

Unfortunately, the ONLY option open to the family for justice is to continue with these types of public displays and rallys. Otherwise, the police will ignore their requests for information similar to all other requests for information. Continues displays to generate public support forces elected official to respond. Our Mayor and Councilmembers ONLY respond to bad press and embarassment. Keep it up if you have any hope of enacting justice.

a horrible mistake

It's amazing to me that so many people think that Zerby brought his death on himself because he was drunk. Equally amazingly judgemental is the frequent claim along that same line that somehow his family and friends are also to blame for his death for not getting him help. The fact that he was drunk has NOTHING to do with this case. He could have been stone cold sober sitting on the stoop talking on his cell phone, while mindlessly waving the water nozzle around. LBPD show up and...Boom Boom....same result. That is what is SO scary about this incident. This could have happened to any one of us in front of our own homes. The idea that Zerby brought this on himself is rediculous. He was minding his own business, not bothering anyone....albeit drunk, waiting for his friend to come home, and mindlessly playing with a water nozzle. Boom boom.....dead!! The way this went down was terribly terribly wrong.

CHARLIE

Well say you all what you want, but that water nozel the LBPD chose to shoot at is going to cost the City an arm and a leg - those skittish officers would be better off on desk duty - that will save money, embarrassment as well as lives!

nec slt

Im reading all these comments about Dougs family, do you really know them or are you that bored with your life that you have to open you mouth through writing about some one you dont even know ?. I believe the family of doug is a loving family and would do any thing for there family members, not for the money. Let Doug rest in peace and stop the selfish comments.

Drew

We as protesters showed great compassion to the two undercover Officers that showed up to the protest, looking remorseful. We let them be, we didn't kill or harm them. We knew who they were, even though they thought they were clever. They were video taping the protest in hopes to see for themselves the pain they have caused I hope. I hope they continue to heal themselves as i know if they didn't murder Doug they sure did make a huge mistake killing him. Why should they have to come out in secret? Except to protect the dept. LBPD needs to wake up and tell the truth, allow the officers that killed/murdered Doug to remorse. Also implement new guidelines for all officers. Like guns for only a select few college educated etc.

Donald D

It is another CASE misuse of force why are these criminals allowed to continue to serve as police,anyone no why because the police can kill anyone they wish and sail scot free,the D.A is currupt and the police there liers and killers there no good an they no it.

Seeing_Is_Believing

Had the LBPD simply used a pair of binoculars from a safe distance, none of this would have happened -- unless the officers were want to have some target practice that day.

Jay

@ Mike Ruehle; I am sure the officers' names will become public when the discovery phase of the trial begins. Right now, as you can see, there is too much emotion, and waaaaaaay too much speculation. Claypool likes to stir peoples' emotions (he's quite good at it from what I've seen), but he still hasn't said anything substantial aside from his own made up story on how it may have gone down. While I do hope the shooters have had their badges and guns taken away for the time being, releasing the officers' names right now would only invoke street justice against them and possibly their families.

Justice4LA

Clearly, The Long Beach Poli did NOT follow the proper protocol when they arrived at the scene. The could have easily attempted to conversed by simply calling out from behind a brick wall, in a position of cover (allegedly Officer Webber), and said, "Long Beach Police, drop your weapon", or sent in a dog, or used a taser, but NO, these guys decided that, at the word of an anonomous 911 caller, that he did have a gun (without checking) and opened fire. Doug Zerby NEVER even knew that the police were even there!! He was intoxicated, sitting there, at his friends house (where he went regularly), with his legs crossed, minding his own business, waiting for his friend to come home, when he was executed by these trigger happy killer cops!

Mike Ruehle

Jay, How can you justify the police not releasing the names of the shooters because of your concern about street justice? The police have no qualms about releasing the names of people under investigation. Don't those people whose names are released by the police share the same risk? If anything, they share greater risk because those people are unarmed. When the police release the name of person involved in a gang related killing, doesn't that person's family suffer potential street justice fromn the opposing gang? So, why should the police receive such preferential treatment when they kill an unarmed man?

RESPONSIBILITY & CHOICE!

PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY & CHOICE! PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY & CHOICE! PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY & CHOICE! PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY & CHOICE!

If I choose to get drunk, it's my choice. If I choose to point at people with an object that looks like a gun, it's my choice. If I choose to let a family member suffer from alcoholism, it's my choice. If I refuse to get the family member help, it's my choice. AND if I choose to BLAME EVERYONE ELSE for my bad choices, I am refusing to take responsibility for my own actions . . . it's my choice and that way it is NEVER MY FAULT when something bad happens!

This story is a sad one but it has no legs . . . approximately 50 people show up . . . and this post has been up for days and only 36 responses with many of these by they same people, so the number interested is even smaller!

Eagle Eye

Well speaking of "choice", you officers had a choice, and because of the choice that you made, an innocent man is dead...... yet here YOU are, blaming the dead victim, and his poor family.

So I'm sorry, where is this "personal responsibility" you are speaking about???

C. McKee

I've been paying attention to this story since it happened. What is so disturbing is a witness said Douglas Zerby was not addressed by any officer before being shot. They also stated that he did not raise the hose nozzle and point it at the officers. So what is the truth? I for one would like to know. Why can't they tell the name of the officer who shot their son and brother? The way this was handled by the LB Police Dept is very disturbing.

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