LongBeachReport.com | LBReport.com | See/Hear Today's LBPD News Conference re Sunday's Belmont Shore Officer Involved Shooting:

(December 13, 2010, updated w/ release text and clearer audio of telephone call) -- LBReport.com provides video of this afternoon's (Dec. 13) LBPD news conference at which LBPD Chief Jim McDonnell provided additional details, released the photo below and played a recording of a portion of the telephone report of a person with a gun to which LBPD officers responded.

Image: LBPD photo displayed on easel at news conference

Some family members of the decedent, Doug Zerby, were present in the audience and were audibly sobbing as LBPD command staff entered. Chief McDonald came to them and spoke with them briefly before beginning the news conference.

LBReport.com provides video in extended form, including reporters' Q & A and the responses of some family members, who expressed shock and anger during portions of the news conference. To view it, click here.

[Update: Following the news conference, LBReport.com requested and LBPD provided a clearer copy of audio, played by LBPD at the news conference, of the portion of the telephone call in which a caller reported seeing a person with a gun (described by caller as a "six shooter" type weapon). In response to our request, LBPD provided the audio in its direct digital file form, which is a .wav file. To hear it, click here. As LBPD noted at the news conference, the audio is excerpted from the call.]

Following the news conference, a familymember said they plan to retain legal counsel but had not yet done so.

Asked after the news conference about the number of shots fired, LBPD Homicide Lt. Lloyd Cox said two police weapons were fired: two rounds fired by one officer using a shotgun (each shotgun round contains multiple pellets) and approximately six rounds by another officer using his service handgun.

LBPD also subsequently issued the following release text with an additional view of the object held by Mr. Zerby, shown in easel-display form at the news conference:

On Sunday, December 12, 2010, at approximately 4:40 p.m., Long Beach Police responded to the 5300 block of East Ocean Boulevard regarding a report of a person with a gun call that resulted in an officer involved shooting and the death of a male adult.
Two people inside the calling party's residence could see a man on the porch landing with a gun, which was described as a "six shooter."
When the initial officers arrived, they confirmed that the subject appeared to be armed with a handgun. They positioned themselves so they could watch the suspect while waiting for additional officers/resources, including the Air Support Unit and Mental Evaluation Team. For everyone’s safety, the officers did not immediately contact the subject to allow time for those resources to arrive and lock down the area, to prevent the subject from escaping the location while armed.
They observed that the subject appeared to be intoxicated and was holding what appeared to be the handgun described by the calling party.
As additional units and resources were responding, the subject pointed what officers believed was a handgun at the apartment building. The subject continued to manipulate this object, which made noises similar to a handgun.
As the subject was in a seated position, he used a two handed pistol grip hold of the object with his arms fully extended, consistent with the behavior of someone about to discharge a firearm. When the subject pointed the object at one of the officers, two officers fired their weapons at the suspect, striking him in the torso multiple times.
Long Beach Fire Department paramedics responded and began treating the suspect; however, he was pronounced deceased at the scene. No officers were injured in this incident.
The suspect has been identified as 35-year-old Douglas Zerby of Long Beach. Our investigation revealed that Suspect Zerby actually had possession of a black pistol grip water nozzle with a metal tip. [Image accompanying LBPD release below]

Along with the Long Beach Police Department’s ongoing investigation, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office is also conducting an independent investigation, which is routine for all officer-involved shootings in Los Angeles County.
Anyone with any information regarding this incident is urged to contact Long Beach Police Homicide Detectives Malcolm Evans and Todd Johnson at (562) 570-7244.