Deandre Brunston - Excessive Force or Deputies afraid for their lives

Deandre Brunston, a 24 year old male, (nicknamed "Trey"), residing in Compton, Los Angeles County, California, in the United States of America, was shot and killed August 24, 2003, during a standoff with Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies while resisting arrest for an alleged domestic abuse incident. After attempting to evade the police, Brunston ended up cornered on someone's doorsteps where he began taunting and negotiating with the police. He repeatedly told the officers he was wanted for murder (Deandre was not wanted for murder), would rather die right then and there than go back to prison, and that he had a gun in his hand and would use it to shoot the police dog (and the deputies) if the dog was released. However, he was in fact unarmed, only carrying a flip-flop shoe in his right hand, hidden under his T-shirt. Brunston repeatedly stated that he would throw his "gun" down and surrender if he were allowed to speak to his girlfriend Fonda Brown by phone.

After nearly a half hour of unsuccessful negotiations between Brunston and police, one of the deputies called the K9 Department Head, Lieutenant Patrick Maxwell, who, from his cell phone at a party, issued a firm order to release the K9 police dog upon the suspect. A few minutes later, the K9 dog sprinted toward Brunston, at which time Brunston tossed the flip-flop at the dog. The police opened fired at the suspect with 81 rounds, striking the K-9 a split second before it attacked the suspect.

Watch the video here.

Both Brunston and the K9 were seriously wounded in the shooting, and both later died of their injuries. Part of the controversy surrounding this incident involves the fact that the wounded K9 received an emergency helicopter airlift to a veterinary center while Brunston, who was still alive and moving after being shot 22 times, was left to bleed to death on the concrete steps, leading to allegations of Brunston receiving sub-par treatment as compared to the dog.

Give us your thoughts on this incident. Was the force excessive? Was the Sheriff's Department acting in a manner that would be considered "required" to take control of the situation?

Do Gangs and Gang Members such as "Trey" pose such a great risk to society, that lethal force may be necessary?

Winston Hayes - Excessive Force or Scared Deputies afraid for their lives

A 15-minute car chase through Los Angeles that ended in a barrage of bullets creates more questions than answers.

Gang-Ridden Compton's middle of the night gun battle was a wakeup call even for residents who have seen it all.

"I'm hearing Fourth of July. That's exactly what it was. Gunfire everywhere," says freelance cameraman Jesse Escochea, who caught the shootout on tape.

Watch the video

Ten deputies unleashed a barrage of over 100 bullets. Eleven of the gunshots hit nearby homes.

When the smoke cleared, police found no weapon inside the vehicle. The suspect, 44-year-old Winston Hayes, was injured, along with one sheriff's deputy, shot by other deputies in the crossfire.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca stated "There's no such thing as a safe shooting. …and that's why we want to take a look at this very closely, because the aspect of shooting in urban areas is very problematic and dangerous under all circumstances."

Some blame the Sheriff's Department for overstepping their bounds and using excessive force. Other's; however, believe that Sheriff's Deputies were aggressive, but when confronted with a situation like this - must be.

This Blog Post was created to extend to you, the reader, an outlet to post your comments and thoughts on the matter. Not only on this shooting, but all Police shootings.

Gang Research.org would like to know your thoughts on how you think the police feel on a daily basis fighting the crime and Gang problem in areas such as Compton. Do they fear for their life and safety as stated by several Deputies in their formal reports regarding this incident, or are they just Macho go-getters with an "I'm untouchable" mentality.

Give us your thoughts. Link back to your site. Post videos for others to see.