Federal marshal's description of fatal shooting conflicts with video footage

[bemildred]

Source: LAT

Matthew Itkowitz, an off-duty deputy U.S. marshal, was being beaten and threatened with a gun in an alley off Melrose Avenue when, in fear for his life, he managed to draw his own weapon and fatally shoot his attacker.

At least, that's the story Itkowitz told Los Angeles police.

What really happened that night in the Fairfax district is less clear-cut. Witnesses' accounts of what happened before the shooting vary. But footage from a surveillance camera, which has never been made public, calls into question the deputy marshal's claim of self-defense. A copy of the tape was reviewed by The Times.

The footage of the March 5, 2008, encounter, coupled with other evidence from the scene, raises a disturbing possibility: that a drunk cop fatally shot a man in the back to settle a score.


Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-marshal-shooting-20101110,0,2650263.story

[Yeahyeah]

1. Lucky for him we're not allowed to photograph cops.

[pattmarty]

2. Put him in general population for a couple of weeks and you will have justice.

[nyc 4 Biden]

3. link to video...

http://www.latimes.com/videobeta/929112c0-562e-480e-bfcc-09fdff81b160/News/Controversial-shooting-involving-off-duty-deputy-U-S-marshal-captured-by-video-surveillance-camera

[Blue_Tires]

4. and he's still working as a U.S. Marshall today

[bertman]

5. Looks like the marshal got his ass whipped and decided to 'take out'

the whipper. Even if the guy was threatening him, as soon as the first shot was fired (looks like it hit the guy in the front of his body) the victim started running AWAY but the marshal shot him in the back as he was fleeing. Let a jury decide.

[mudderfudder77]

6. Dumb question

But can anyone tell if the other guy had a weapon? He appears to point at the Marshal, but then lowers his arm - I can't tell if there is a handgun or not.
\

[Hassin Bin Sober]

7. I tend to agree.

No matter which way you slice it, there are two assholes at play here. One of them is supposed to be a professional.

That said, I'm having a hard time feeling sorry for the thug that got shot. He knocked the marshal down twice and backed him all the way down the alley. The marshal showed some (not enough) level of restraint in using his weapon - otherwise he would have used it at the end of the alley.

Let the jury decide.

[bertman]

8. There is no mention of the marshal being threatened with a gun, only that

he was beaten and threatened, so I'd say the guy was pointing like he did a couple of times before.

Why are you having a hard time feeling sorry for the thug who got shot? Maybe he wasn't a thug. Maybe he was a guy the marshal decided to fuck with who turned out to be tougher than the marshal. I've known some arrogant cops who thought they could whip up on anybody who they didn't like--in an off-duty situation. Who's to say that isn't what happened here? Pick a fight. Take it outside. Get your ass whipped, then talk some more shit and get backed down the alley. Maybe get your ass kicked again. Happens all the time. Usually no one gets shot.

Apparently the witnesses felt the marshal wasn't telling the truth about what transpired. Can't imagine why after he shot the dude in the back.

That's why we have juries.

[mudderfudder77]

9. The very first sentence

The very first sentence says that the marshal told the cops that he was beaten and threatened with a gun.

[atreides1]

10. So the Marshal isn't capable of lying?

Did the cops find a gun?

[bemildred]

11. The cops say (no details) they found a gun in the alley.

On page 3 in the OP.

I don't find the self-defense argument very convincing, maybe the first shot, if the dead guy can be shown to be armed, but I don't see that. There was an opinion in the OP that it was reasonable to think the dead guy was a threat when shot; but once he's down, the drunk walks up and puts a couple more into him. That is not self-defense IMHO.

[panzerfaust]

12. My Goodness: The shooter was a Police Officer

That puts him above the law.