Judge dismisses excessive force lawsuit against LAPD for Fatal Shooting of Unarmed, Naked Black Man

From [HERE] The Los Angeles Police Commission previously ruled that a Los Angeles police officer was justified in the shooting of 25-year-old Reginald Doucet Jr. in January 2011.

On Tuesday, a federal judge dismissed the excessive force lawsuit filed by his family, reports the L.A. Times, saying that police, under certain circumstances, are shielded for their official actions.

Doucet was shot to death while nearly nude during a confrontation outside his home in Playa Vista.  Officers were acting in defense of their lives, said Police Cmdr. Andrew Smith. 

Authorities were called to the early morning scene while Doucet was naked and arguing with a taxi driver, according to the department. 

Unsuccessful in efforts to calm him, Doucet ran. When officers caught up with him, they claim Doucet went on the attack and began punching them in the face. The department alleges that Doucet grabbed the handle of Officer Aaron Goff's gun and tried to remove it from its holster. Even though the police report stated that "the officer's were fighting for their lives" and  "during the fight the suspect repeatedly punched both officers in the face and head" - the officers had very minor injuries. [MORE]