Fatal LAPD shooting involved ex-college football player/model
The man Los Angeles police officers shot in Playa Vista during a scuffle Friday was identified as a former college football player.
Reginald Doucet Jr., 25, played defensive back at El Camino College and Middle Tennessee State University.
According to his Middle Tennessee State biography, Doucet was 6 feet tall and weighed 190 pounds when he played there. Raised in Prunedale, Calif., he was a track and football star at North Monterey County High School, where he also played basketball, his biography says.
Doucet played junior college football at El Camino College near Torrance before winning a scholarship to Middle Tennessee State. Doucet more recently worked as a personal fitness trainer and part-time model, said his neighbor and former agent, Chris Ellison. Doucet was single but has a daughter who is 3 or 4 years old. KTLA-TV (Channel 5) reported Doucet also worked as a model.
The shooting occurred about 3:30 a.m. when two patrol officers responded to a disturbance call in the 5200 block of Crescent Park West and found a naked man "yelling and behaving erratically," according to an LAPD statement.
Police said the officers attempted to calm the agitated man and talked him into putting on his boxer shorts, but he ran when they tried to apprehend him. They approached him again, but he ran once more.
"When the officers tried a third time to detain the suspect in the apartment complex doorway, the suspect immediately attacked both officers," the statement said. "The suspect repeatedly punched both officers in the face and head and at one point tried to take one of the officer's guns."
That's when one of the officers, identified only as a male with 17 months in the department, shot Doucet twice, police said. He died at a hospital.
-- Kim Christensen
Photo: Los Angeles police Cmdr. Andrew Smith, left, and Officer Tiffany Wright escort a distraught woman who said she knew Reginald Doucet Jr., who was killed by police. Credit: Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times
EDITOR'S PICKS:
Kassie
In the many years you've known Reggie how many times did you see him running and screaming in the streets in the middle of the night naked in freezing temperatures?
How many times have you seen him whacked out on PCP?
How many times have you seen attack the cops?
Yeah, I thought so.....
Posted by: u know | January 16, 2011 at 12:37 PM
It's sad that there are people stupid enough to believe the cops' account of what happened. Dead men tell no tales. But, that doesn't mean those who are still alive have to believe the only story we can get, for now. Give it a few months. Just notice as everyone with an IQ over zero asks the very simple question - no pepper spray/taser?
Unfortunately, the dummies and racists are already blaming the victim of a homicide. Take two seconds out of your fantasy world and try living on planet earth. The cops are lying! It's not new and won't be the first time.
Posted by: anthony taurus | January 16, 2011 at 05:54 PM
Those officers have a tough job. According to the statement they were "repeatedly punched in the face and head" by this 25 year old athlete. I would imagine they are both cut, battered and brusied having suffered such a brutal attack. Have pictures of the officers' faces been released yet? They both must have suffered severe injuries.
Posted by: Ricky Ribono | January 16, 2011 at 06:48 PM
anthony taurus
yeah the cops lied. i bet the guy wasn't even out at 3:30 in the morning, and i bet he had his clothes on! but why would the cops use pepper spray or a taser? the guy did not attack them, he wasn't naked crazy on the street. the poor guy was home asleep in his pajamas, the cops dragged him out of his house, took his clothes off, shot and killed him and lied about it to cover it up.
and you're calling other people stupid??? lol
Posted by: u know | January 16, 2011 at 06:52 PM
What's new? If there is surveillance footage it will either disappear or they will deny its existence. Tragic, just like the other millions of death by cop.
Posted by: ddsharper | January 16, 2011 at 08:26 PM
i knew reggie personally and he was NOT a criminal. He comes from a great family and was a great part of our high school. Im sadden to hear that our own police enforcement took such drastic actions. This man was not a bad guy and I really cant and dont believe he reached for a weapon. He was so talented and ambitious. Such a horrible tragedy
Posted by: g | January 16, 2011 at 08:59 PM
Thank you police
Posted by: Kala Shaw | January 16, 2011 at 10:43 PM
If you're VIOLENT and DRUNK and/or INTOXICATED... and you FIGHT with the PO-PO, what do expect will happen to you?????
Posted by: ChickensComeHome2Roost | January 16, 2011 at 11:33 PM
Just curious,did he have a job?
Posted by: john | January 17, 2011 at 12:32 AM
Come on people, this guy was dangerous, and could have hurt someone if he had not been stopped. Pepper Spray does not work on people high on certain drugs PCP for one, Batons will knock the person down but they will be on their feet in a second, I know because I did the job for 25 years in LA and was faced with the same incident, he never got close enough to us to take our weapons, but we were able to confine him until many and I mean many additional officers arrived even then it was a big fight. There are not enough tasers to go around and it was these officers misfortune to not have one, but what happens when it does not work, he runs away from the officers for the third time and confronts your spouse, he is not himself what could happen. He tried to take an officers gun, what happens if he does, and runs away, now he has a gun, he is high and feeling invincible. The worst thing is that this person in no longer with us, and the officers will forever have to relive this incident. We don't make much money in retirement and quite often died soon after we retire, but we don't set out to kill anyone ever, because it means we have failed, but we will do our best to protect you from those who will steal, rob, rape and kill you, sometimes one of us will pay the ultimate price today it was Reggie tomorrow it may be the Officer, just pray for both of them it is a sad day for both.
Posted by: PJ Green | January 17, 2011 at 07:15 AM
Although he was high on something and hostile toward the police does nto warrant Him being shot to death. They could have tazzed or maced him. If you got two or three policeman who cannot physically subdue a man, then they do not need to be policemen. I do not think they would have pulled the deadly trigger on a white man. And disagree with the people wo said this man deserved his fate. This madness happens to young and old Black men and women all across tis country. Instrad of subduing these people non violently police, use their guns as though Blacks are some animals whose lives are expendable.
Posted by: Leonard C In Norfolk | January 17, 2011 at 07:22 AM
There is no excuse for this, what happened to the taser?
Posted by: Valerie | January 17, 2011 at 09:33 AM
def. not the LAPD's fault on this one
Posted by: freddy please | January 17, 2011 at 09:43 AM
Just Fyi Officers Arent Trained to Shoot In The Leg, They Shoot To Stop, If He was On The Drugs A shot In The Leg Wouldnt Have Stopped Him Due To The Effects The Drugs Have On The body. Anyone here who sees officers as just people who go about harassing people and shooting minorities or what have you need to go 1-2 hours in there shoes and see why they do what they do
Posted by: John | January 17, 2011 at 12:23 PM
Yeah, and the LAPD story is about as credible as Sarah Palin's 'blood libel' response to Tucson. There is NO excuse the LAPD can give to justify what was done to this young man.
Posted by: Noland | January 17, 2011 at 01:09 PM
Funny how know one is saying that Douche did anything wrong....
Funny how people don't get that a naked man who tries to take an officers gun is now a man who is trying to arm himself and no longer is considered unarmed, he is now a deadly threat and needs to be dealt with accordingly.
Douche made his own bed, now he gets to lay in it, forever.
Posted by: u know | January 18, 2011 at 05:23 AM
I knew Reggie.
He played football at my university.He was bright, talented young man with a limitless future.
I've also never known him to behave this way, ever, so I await to toxicology report.
His actions were wrong, but the police could have handled this situation MUCH better. Shot dead??? This are allegedly "trained professionals." Do they not have a procedure for this?
As for him grabbing for the gun, I never read/heard that from initial reports. Sounds suspect.
LAPD has a reputation AROUND THE COUNTRY as being unnecessarily violent and unethical. It should stop...but it probably wont.
SMH in DISGUST...
Posted by: Johnny | January 18, 2011 at 02:28 PM
Melissa
Finally someone who knew Reggie Douche will at least admit that it was his own actions that cost him his life...THANK YOU!
You are right, that he was beating the crap out of the officers as he was incredibly fit and in the condition he was in also a dangerous man. His fatal mistake was when he tried to take a cops gun.
Since you not aware of what police policy is I will tell you, they 'shoot to stop' the deadly threat they are presented with. They are not trained, nor is any police agency or military for that matter to shoot the arms or legs of the threat. They are trained to shoot at the torso since that offers the largest target available to them. You can look this up on line, it's on google.
Posted by: u know | January 18, 2011 at 08:45 PM
Ignorance should be silenced! Justice will be served. Further more I knew Reggie personally never touched a drug or wanted to touch a drug. He was a big Teddy bear, yeah he was buff which to some made him seem as a threat. But he wouldn't hurt a fly. He was all about God, family, and his team of good friends. When the truth comes to light you all will be silenced. I'm not here to argue with any of you but to merely open your eyes, because knowledge is Power. I feel terreible that none of you have had the chance to meet this outstanding man, because passing judgement on a deceased man that you do not know is the most ignorant thing you can do. May he RIP I love you and until we meet again Pray for us.
Posted by: Janay | January 19, 2011 at 04:58 PM
First and for most, after knowing Reggie for many years. Watching him grow up and become a great person inside and out I give my prays to him and his family.
I sit here and read some of these comments knowing no one really knows what happen as only Reggie and the two officers do.
To address what has been said about the situation at hand, Reggie may have made some bad decisions but as a trained law enforcement officer there would be no reason to have used deadly force.
Personally I have no respect or regards to law enforcement but putting my feelings a side I would think under protocol a taser or baton would be used first. To think that 2 officers can't subdue one man is horrible and don't have the common sense to call for back up to have more officers get a handle on things. When a suspect is unarmed and you still feel the need to use deadly force there is a problem with the LAPD training academy.
As I listen to the witness accounts of what happen, it seems to me that after the officer got hit in the head by a 25 yr old man, his ego kicked in and the officer wanted to make a point. You see it all the time with male egos and the fact he was an officer "he wasn't going to let some young kid, hit him and get away with it". I'm pretty sure a veteran cop would have been able to analyze the situation and called for back up to subdue the individual as necessary.
For people to speculate on his state of mind is absulotely wrong. We see it everyday on reality TV when young people have liquor in them they act out. But that doesn't give law enforcement a right to kill an unarmed man. We saw the same thing with Sean Bell, and Oscar Grant.There was no threat to those officers. If there was then a tasers could have been used, or even shooting him were he would go down without killing him. It makes me so anger when officers let that power trip and egos get in the way of actually protect and serving our communities.
I may have offended some people, but it needed to be said. This tragedy was a hugh hit to many people who love Reggie and the officer who killed him will have to face God himself on judgement day.
The lost of Reggie will not only affect me but many others that have been able to met and interact with him and see his radiate smile and kind heart. Reggie was not only a son, father, brother, nephew, grandson, but a friend to a whole community. He may have made a wrong decision but that should not have cost him his life when he was unarmed.
Posted by: traci stewart | January 20, 2011 at 04:17 AM
Seriously. Do some of you people even have a heart? Yeah the guy messed up but that still doesn't give the cops, let alone a rookie, the right to shoot an unarmed man.. And before you start preaching about what they go through, they chose that career. They knew what they were getting themselves into in the first place. Anyway, I'm guessing this cop will be out of a job soon.
Posted by: Bianca | January 20, 2011 at 10:28 PM
I just want to know what happen to the cab driver and why he didn't explain to the offices the situation.
Posted by: Marie Ford | January 24, 2011 at 09:04 PM
Thank god the officers "Made it out alive" in a tussle with a naked drunk guy?
He's naked- no weapon--- or use pepper spray or a taser.
Who gets close enough to an erratic acting person to let them have a go at their face or their gun. Someone needs a different job because they definitely did not maintain boundaries. And ended up killing someone whose greatest threat was to himself..
And to the commenter below who made up the PCP allegation from thin air-- who is your god--- that you feel you can make up stuff and proclaim 'case closed' before there is even an investigation where there has been a loss of life?
Posted by: GetReal | January 25, 2011 at 07:27 AM
How are Police Officers afraid of someone without a weapon? Come on thats an excuse to kill. Why didn't they use a stun or taser gun to stop him? They shoot to Kill! instead of shooting to stop a person. They are Not trained right. Family got a lawsuit on their hands. All the excessive force, killing and harrassment has to stop.
Posted by: Stop The Violence | February 01, 2011 at 03:42 PM