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=> Opinions Differ in Student's Fatal Shooting by Long Beach Police

Opinions Differ in Student's Fatal Shooting by Long Beach Police
Posted by Jeffrey (Guest) - Wednesday, June 3 2015, 5:05:16 (UTC)
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Opinions Differ in Student's Fatal Shooting by Long Beach Police
Long Beach's deputy police chief says it "wasn't until the end when the options ran out" that the officer felt he needed to use lethal force.
By Christina Cocca and Hetty Chang

Long Beach police are defending an officer's fatal shooting of a 20-year-old student as the opinions of witnesses differ on whether it was necessary. Hetty Chang reports for the NBC4 News at 5 p.m. on Monday, June 1, 2015. (Published Monday, Jun 1, 2015)
Updated at 8:15 PM PDT on Monday, Jun 1, 2015

Long Beach police are defending an officer who fatally shot a 20-year-old unarmed student as the opinions of witnesses differ on whether lethal force was necessary.

Feras Morad, a college student soon to start classes at Cal State Long Beach, jumped through the glass of a second-story window the night of May 27 before getting into a confrontation with an officer.

Witnesses Recall Fatal Police Shooting of Student

"He was literally covered in blood, had a significant injury," LBPD Deputy Chief David Hendricks said. "He didn't seem phased by those (injuries) at all ... He did threaten to harm the officer."

Long Beach police and witnesses said the officer tried to restrain the student before opening fire.
Full Interview: Witness Describes Killing of Student
[LA] Full Interview: Witness Describes Fatal Police Shooting of Student Feras Morad
Witness Bob Garner describes the fatal shooting of 20-year-old college student Feras Morad by a Long Beach police officer. This interview was conducted by Kate Larsen on Sunday, May 31, 2015 for the NBC4 News. (Published Monday, Jun 1, 2015)

"He was trying to handcuff him, but he wouldn't obey at all," said a witness who did not want to be identified. "He was definitely on something I think."

"(The officer) tried, yelled at him, tazed him, he would not go down," the witness said.

Student Killed by Long Beach Police: Family

The officer used "verbal commands," stunned Morad with a Taser, and used a flashlight with force to try to restrain him, police said.

"It wasn't until the end when the options ran out that he felt the need to resort to lethal force," Hendrickson said.
Witnesses Describe Fatal Police Shooting of College Student
[LA] Witnesses Describe Fatal Police Shooting of College Student
Witnesses recalled the tense moments when a Long Beach police officer shot and killed an unarmed college student. Kate Larsen reports for the NBC4 News at 11 p.m. on Sunday, May 31, 2015. (Published Sunday, May 31, 2015)

But while Morad was described as allegedly acting violently and aggressively, some witnesses questioned whether lethal force should have been used.

"For it to end that way for a kid who could be out of his mind drunk or partying or something, seems very unnecessary," witness Daniel Browning said.
Witness: Officer Who Shot Fatally Shot Student Had "No Other Choice"
[LA] Witness: Officer Who Shot Fatally Shot Student Had "No Other Choice"
A police officer who shot and killed a college student in Long Beach had "no other choice," a witness said. Kate Larsen reports for the NBC4 News at 6 p.m. on Sunday, May 31, 2015. (Published Sunday, May 31, 2015)

"Why would they shoot him? He was harmless," Drina Browning said.

"If that officer wasn't there, I guarantee you 10 people from this neighborhood could have gotten that intoxicated child down on the ground and into an ambulance for help," said another witness, who did not want to be identified. "He needed help, he didn't need to die."
Father Grieves for Son Shot, Killed by Police
[LA] Father Grieves for Son Shot, Killed by Police
A student who was set to attend Cal State Long Beach was fatally shot by Long Beach police. Kate Larsen reports for the NBC4 News at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 30, 2015. After this story aired, a witness who gave his account of the incident contacted NBC4 with additional information from what was reported that changed the substance of his account. It has been removed from this video. (Published Sunday, May 31, 2015)

Other witnesses say the officer had no choice.

"At that moment (the officer) was solo and I think in his mind he had to make a decision," witness Bob Garner said. "And his decision, I believe from what I saw, was two tasers and a fall from a second story did zero. 'I have no other choice.' That's what it appeared like to me."
College Student Killed by Police
[LA] College Student Killed by Police
A student who was set to attend Cal State Long Beach was fatally shot by Long Beach police. Kate Larsen reports for the NBC4 News at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 30, 2015. (Published Saturday, May 30, 2015)

"I did hear the officer tell him to 'Stop or I'll shoot,' and then a couple of minutes later the shots went off," said neighbor Brian Magpantay.

The officer who shot Morad has been with the department for 12 years and has since been taken out of the field and reassigned to desk duty pending investigation of the shooting.

Morad, of Woodland Hills, was described by his family as a nationally-ranked debate competitor with ambitions of becoming a lawyer.

"For him to be taken like that, it's not fair," his uncle Mahmoud Morad said through tears.

Friends and relatives have sparked a social media firestorm in Morad's defense, starting campaigns to spread the word about his shooting and calling for justice, using the hashtag #Justice4Feras.

A Facebook page called "Justice For Feras Morad" says he was "was unarmed and in desperate need of medical attention. His family started a GoFundMe crowdfunding page to help pay for a memorial and funeral, and his brother started a Headtalker campaign page.

"Feras was just stepping into his adulthood, and yet he had already touched countless lives with his kind and loving heart. They say it takes a village to raise a child. The village is needed now," the GoFundMe page reads.

A vigil for Morad was planned for Wednesday.
Published at 6:35 PM PDT on Jun 1, 2015



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