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.