Reginald Doucet Jr., 25 [Update]

Jan. 18, 2011, 9:25 a.m.

Reginald Doucet Jr., a 25-year-old black man, was shot and killed by police Friday, Jan. 14, in the 5200 block of Crescent Park West in Playa Vista, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records.

The shooting occurred about 3:30 a.m. when two patrol officers responded to a disturbance call and found a naked man, later identified as Doucet, "yelling and behaving erratically," according to a Los Angeles Police Department 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 Doucet 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."

At that point, 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.

Doucet played defensive back at El Camino College and Middle Tennessee State University.

Raised in Prunedale, Calif., he was a track and football star at North Monterey County High School, where he also played basketball, according to his biography from Middle Tennessee State.

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.

[Updated Dec. 23, 2011: LAPD officer justified in shooting naked man, commission rules]

-- Kim Christensen

KTLA Video: Hallf-naked man shot and killed by police

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60 reader comments

Reggie,

You're, unfortunately, in good company. Zac Champommier was an 18 year-old, saxophone playing honors student who was killed by a "multijurisdictional task force" because he pulled into a public parking lot and accidentally hit an undercover officer who ran into the path of his car.

Doug Zerby was too drunk to drive and instead waited for his friend to arrive home. He sat on his friend's steps and fiddled with a water nozzle. The police observed him for 10-15 minutes. He never even knew they were there when they executed him claiming that he raised the water nozzle in a threatening manner.

Erik Scott was killed by three policemen while he exited a Costco in Las Vegas that was being evacuated because someone had noticed that Erik had a gun. He was licensed to carry the gun as part of his business, delivering pacemakers to dangerous parts of the city. As he disarmed, stating aloud "I am disarming", removing his holster, the police opened fire and killed him in front of his girlfriend.

DJ Henry, Steven Washington, Oscar Grant, Christian Portillo, and so many others....

Even former LA Police Chief Daryl Gates' brother, himself a police captain, was brutalized by an Orange County Sheriff.

Law enforcement is simply out of control and will not hesitate to kill at the slightest, or, apparently NO provocation.

— Mel March 21, 2011 at 10:42 p.m.

I knew Reggie for a brief moment..I went to visit him while at Tennesse. Watchin that video was a lil disturbing because when I knew him he was fun and full of life and wanted to be in the NFL. I really think he might have been on some type of drug because in the video he was different from what I've seen. Cops should never pull their gun unless they were in immediate danger which really wasn't the case. He was naked what harm can he really do? Cops really need to find other ways to detain suspects instead immediately goin for their gun. I believe cops are so quick to pull their trigger instead of actually trying to resolve the issue in other sulotions. I am really sad that this had to end the way it did. My prayers are with Reggie's family. RIP Reggie you will truely be missed.

— Kwanza Feb. 25, 2011 at 11:31 p.m.

I lived two buildings away before I escaped L.A. in 2008, and this type of incident is part of the reason why I got my family the hell out of L.A.
1. The violence finds you anywhere. The condo I rented was worth over $1 million.
2. Thanks to the LAPD gunning down residents right outside, the property value and quality of life in Playa Vista are both less now. Nice going.
3. Happy 20th Anniversary to police over-reacting (if you use Rodney King as the first bookend). It'll never change. Gates, Parks, Bratton, Beck, whatever.
4. LOL at the "Super Negro high on PCP" excuse, which was heard in the King trial and you guys are still trying and buying that one. L-O-L!
5. Last week here in Atlanta, I called the cops b/c of a stumbling drunk. I was concerned that he would get robbed or hurt himself. Cops drove him home. In L.A., I would be more afraid of him ending up dead by the cops, so I wouldn't have called.

— windu Feb. 23, 2011 at 8:46 a.m.

R.I.P. Reggie, You are missed babe!!!

Justice will come to you & your fam. A month later and we're still grieving heavily. I tried to stop reading at the 1st ignorant comments... about Reggie 'getting what was coming to him..' these silly people will get their Karma that is to come. Bothers me that everyone wants to automatically believe the officers assessment of the situation.. like cops never lie?!?! hellooo.. wake up people.. one just lied about getting shot.. how bout the 8 that were indicted for covering up the katrina murders of innocent men.. what about the one in hollywood who just got found guilty for lying about the 'suspect' he murdered having a weapon.. and now AFTER the initial report and once reggie was pronounced dead, only did they say he was reaching for his weapon.. 2 shots in neck to subdue a 'drunk' suspect?? 2 trained officers?? after 10 minutes they knew he wasnt a violent threat.. naked and all.. they shouldve called for back up or got their tazers/bean bag guns ready for him.. if they were that scared of him & they may be 'fighting for their lives..'.. Im SO sick of people.. all of us have had a drunk night, so i will not condemn him for going out & having fun.. for people to assume he was on PCP is another story.. even if he did drugs (which he didnt), is that a valid reason for the police to shoot him? cuz 'PCP will make someone strong' as some dummy said in the comments above.. its absolute BULL .. if this was your friend, brother, father in this situation you would be totally fine with reviewing what the media has put out and justifiably walking away from this situation as ur loved one is gone and its his fault?? Get out of here, i dont believe anyone would for one second.. I wish people would take the time to think before speak. analyze a situation as it were your own before u make inconsiderate statements...

This is not a race issue.. This is about the biggest gang of America with licenses to kill.. There are good cops out there, but there are also unethical evil ones.. and yess ive also along with countless friends been harassed by the police... If these were three citizens on the street, one naked and two with licensed guns to shoot, please believe the shooter would still be in jail facing 1st degree murder.. wake up people...

WE love you Regg! You were and still are a bright light in this shady world! We know the real you, as much as the media & these fools want to slander your name, you were a good person doing good things.. We'll show em hun.. <3

— SS Feb. 15, 2011 at 11:57 a.m.

I'm also anxious to hear the autopsy results and hopefully there is video of the incident. Sounds like the supposed attempt to take the gun was added after the initial report. Also, the LAPD radio feed on Youtube says he was shot in the neck so that sounds fishy. An average citizen would be under arrest for excessive force unless he was a black belt in martial arts. At the very least, they'd be under arrest for manslaughter since he ran away twice and they pursued. It's VERY hard to believe that TWO officers were in mortal danger from one, unarmed man. And it's ridiculous to kill the man instead of calling for backup. Unfortunately, not everyone who wears a badge has the courage or intelligence to be entrusted with such authority and deadly force.

— Dee Jan. 28, 2011 at 8:01 p.m.

Doucet may have suffered from some mental illness or could have unknowingly ingested something harmful or yep he could have been drunk as a skunk. I have even heard a theory (from a retired cop) that Doucet was trained in martial arts and thus his hands/feet could be considered lethal weapons - But was he being violent or just disturbing the peace? If not posing an immediate threat to himself or others then call for additional units BEFORE engaging in a battle and BEFORE deciding to shoot. I wonder if because the incident happened in blissful Playa Vista rather than Oakwood, the boys from Pacific didn't think this call was going to be a big deal and/or perhaps were surprised or even a little embarrassed they needed to call for help to subdue one naked man.
Nonetheless, it is a sad episode for all involved.

— Sherlock Jan. 25, 2011 at 10:17 a.m.

You bleeding hearts are pathetic. I honestly do not believe the "victim" was "innocent". It's always the same type of comments on these stories "I knew them - they were a caring person - they would never do these things" ect. ect. Guess what? You really don't know another person, only they knew who they are, not you. If this person was "innocent", they wouldn't be running around naked causing a scene. Use some common sense and open your eyes!

I don't care if you're butt naked and clearly unarmed. The moment you try to reach for an officer's firearm, they have the authority to use deadly force for their own safety. The only racists I see are the idiots in the comment section that drag race into this. Awww boo hoo he's a black man, everyone seeing mean things must be a Klansman! You're so far removed from reality, it's scary. He was clearly a messed up person who was into things he kept hidden from friends. I for one will not waste platitudes for the mentally disturbed.

TL;DR Nothing of value was lost.

— Veekun Jan. 23, 2011 at 12:17 p.m.

t-rod, I have to congratulate you on one of the more inane and, frankly, Orweillian comments I've seen on the HR. And that's no small feat. You say, "Remember, this is America where we are all innocent until proven guilty. Doucet, on the other hand was naked and out in public which is an obvious crime. Keep it in perspective people." You don't quite understand how logically inconsistent that statement is? "This is America where we all innocent until proven guilty" but if a person is naked and acting in a strangely aggressive manner it's okay for a police officer to unilaterally shoot them without due process? Remember, t-rod, this is America, and while being outside naked may be an "obvious crime" - it is not a significant one and it is certainly not punishable by death. Let's keep it in perspective, t-rod.

— MR Jan. 23, 2011 at 11 a.m.

Smokey-You state that 90% of officers are excellent, but prior to that call them "cowards on patrol". Yeah, you're not a cop-hater at all. I sincerely hope that people like you at some point desperately need an officer's assistance and they don't provide it. Call it karma, call it justice....Those "cowards" do a job and put their life on the line against scumbags and idiots everyday, which is much more than you could probably ever say about your life. I bet you're really brave.

You did get one part right, though.....they more than likely did tell him to get on the ground, he resisted, started fighting, and we saw the result. If he does as he's told, he's still alive...instead he wanted to play billy bad-azz and he lost. Game over.

— Chris Jan. 22, 2011 at 12:07 p.m.

Once again the LAPD went the seen of a naked man disturbing the peace. They probably approached Mr. Doucet more than likely told him to get on the ground. When he didn't, they probably tried to force him to the ground and the fight was on. The police are always trying to punk someone, instead of using common sense. They could have questioned him without going through all that. It was obvious he didn't have a weapon. They reasoned enough with him to put his underwear on (if they were ever off in the first place). I can't wait for the tox screen to come back for all of you that believe he was PCP. These 2 genius' probably tried to cuff him after he put his underwear on, instead of trying to help him get in his residence. He probably did resist and started beating up both cops. (COP is an acronym for Coward On Patrol) The rookie probably did fear for his life and instead of calling for back-up, he shot the poor guy. How does disturning the peace turn into a murder investigation? I would say that 90% of all police are excellent officers and do an outstanding job. It's that other 10% that makes all of you look bad.

— Smokey Jan. 21, 2011 at 8:22 p.m.

Stop flattering yourself, Culver City Resident. I realize in your own mind you may think people are "threatened" or impressed by seeing a strong Latino or African American, but you're clearly fixated on race, and I can assure you, no one's really impressed by the COLOR of someone's skin and their fitness level. What I see is someone who was obviously fit and strong and behaving extremely erratically. If this was a white bodybuilder he would've been deemed the same threat. I've seen the article on LA Weekly....this guy was arrogant and had a chip on his shoulder, always videotaping himself, talking big, acting like the cock-of-the-walk. I have absolutely no problem believing that he was attempting to be Billy Bad-a** with the cops, and unfortunately, his misplaced machismo cost him his life.

— Chris Jan. 20, 2011 at 2:53 p.m.

It is a sad day when 2 trained police officers have to shoot an unarmed naked man. I wasn't there, but I probably know what happpened. The police arrived saw a naked guy and didn't know what to make of it. They, like some on this blog probably assumed that he was on PCP. This guy was locked out trying to get in his building. The police came up with their chest out and more than likely told Mr. Doucet to get on the ground. He probably didn't comply because he was naked. They then went to "control" him. At that point, fight on. He commenced to kicking their azzes. The rookie "fearing for his life" then double tapped Mr. Doucet. The police are the biggest gang in the city. Rampart doesn't begin to touch on the crooked cops that are patroling this city. I see why they are called cops. Cowards on Patrol. I believe there are some good cops, but there are more bad than good. They terroize people of color and hide behind the badge. They say you are innocent until proven guilty, but in my 41 years, its guilty until proven innocent.

— Smoke 1 Jan. 20, 2011 at 2:20 p.m.

to all that keep stating that Mr. Doucet was under the influence of drugs thus giving him super human powers are wrong! Mr. Doucet was a healthy individual who played sports and most recently was a bodybuilder and fitness model. Being a bodybuilder myself I can tell you that dicipline is very important and not putting junk in your body is very important. Having also lived in Culver City I can also tell you that the Culver City cops are quick to racially profile you if you are a strong fit Latino or African American, why? Because they feel "threaten". I have personally experience this. Being harrassed by the Culver City PD for no reason. It is also possible that Mr. Doucet may have had an existing mental condition. In males, some mental condition start to exhibit in the early 20's. Again, I think the cops here over reacted when they saw a NAKED muscular fit young black man and shot him!

— Culver City Resident Jan. 20, 2011 at 11:34 a.m.

It's amusing how people believe everything they read in the paper. Obviously the LAPD screwed up. Their tactics took extreme measure b/c they obviously paniced. Reggie was half naked, was yelling b/c he was tryin to get in into his apartment (he had no key, locked out) so he can pay his cab fair. How ironic the police state that he was going for their gun hours after their first intial report. Was he behaving erratically, yes. Did he resist, yes. Was he armed, no. Was he justified in fighting with police, no. Did he go for their gun, hell no! What irony. All Reggie wanted to do was get into his apartment, pay his debt, and go home. Not to mention, they shot him on his door step, twice. Two trained professional law enforcement officers can't handle a single drunk naked man. How embarrassing. And now their tryna cover their asses. Just wait til the investigation progresses and the public gets a hold of the surveillance tape outside the apartment complex.

"The Lord will take care of unjustice. Forgiveness is to help live abundantly, to forgive as Jesus forgave us. Its the only way to get rid of this torturous memory. Forgiveness can be a grieving process. Bitterness is not from God. God wants us to forgive anyting, but He doesn't want us to tolerate everyting."

— Remembering #Gametime Jan. 19, 2011 at 11:17 a.m.

The Homicide Report

Reginald Doucet Jr., 25 [Update]

Share a memory or thought about Reginald Doucet Jr.

60 reader comments