Gang Member Fatally Shot

Los Angeles: A local gang member armed with a handgun was shot by police yesterday after he confronted officers.  The suspect's loaded .45 semi-automatic pistol was recovered at the scene.

The incident began on Monday, May 28, 2007 around 11:00 p.m., when officers on patrol in the area of 88th Place and Main Street saw Jamar Whitherspoon, 18, riding as a passenger on a "pocket-motorcycle." Whitherspoon was an Assault with a Deadly Weapon suspect, police said.

When Whitherspoon saw the officers, he jumped from the motorcycle and ran south on Main Street before trying to hop over a fence.

Officer Jeff Bright, 35, and his partner, were responding to the area to assist other officers when they saw Whitherspoon.  As Officer Bright got out of his police vehicle, the suspect ran toward him.  Officer Bright saw Whitherspoon had a handgun in his waistband, fired and struck him.

Whitherspoon was rushed by paramedics to California Hospital, where he later died.

Officer Bright is assigned to Southeast Division Gang Enforcement Detail and is a 10-year LAPD veteran.

No officers were injured in the incident.

Force Investigation Division responded to the scene and is handling the investigation.

Comments

[James]

I'm curious as to why your article doesn't mention an arrest? If your article is accurate it is apparent that Officer Bright should have been arrested on murder charges. Your article states "Officer Bright saw Whitherspoon had a handgun in his waistband, fired and struck him." It mentions nothing about Mr. Witherspoon drawing his weapon, or even reaching for the weapon. If that's true then Mr. Bright should be facing murder charges. I find it extremely disturbing that apparently he's not.

[Marc]

one less criminal is a blessing

good work.

[Mac V]

Hey James,

If you want to knwo the justificaion for the shooting, please re-read the blog, maybe you missed this:

As Officer Bright got out of his police vehicle, the suspect ran toward him.

If a gang member with a LOADED 45 caliber pistol was running toward your mother, what would you want the police to do?

Negotiate, plead for him to stop, run the other way?

I think not, you would want the police to take immediate action and end the threat-that's exactly what this officer accomplished.

A GANG MEMBER with a GUN running toward the police, who is wanted for ASSAULT WITH A DEADLY WEAPON is more than enough justification to shoot him.

What do you think he was going to do with that gun? Run toward the officer and put it into his pocket and demand to be arrested?

Get real already people.

[Harry]

suspect dead...thats all that matters!!! Go whine someplace else.

[jennifer caldwell]

why dont you write a story about how your officers rape women and get away with it.

[Marc]

Gang members shouldn't have guns on them, period.

[2time]

Great shooting. Too bad the involved officer is being "re-assigned for the protection of his career."

[CODE ONE]

James,

Please do the rest of us a favor. Unless you want to be looked as the biggest moron on this blog, please refrain from posting anymore idiotic comments.

And if you do post anymore comments, please read the post atleast five times beofre you write an idiotic statement as you have.

What on God's green earth would make you write such a stupid statement as you did, we will never know.

Unless you would like to banish or ostracize yourself, please refrain from being dumb. And I pray the day happens when an armed GANG MEMBER comes running towards you as you deficate in your pants, looking for a street cop to stop that GANG MEMBER.

I think this blog needs to start screening some of Jame's post instead the rest of ours.

[Diana]

Officer Bright was doing the job he was hired to do. Protecting the citizens of Los Angeles from criminals whose sole purpose is to victimize others. Officer Bright and his fellow officers put their lives on the line every day so that the citizens of Los Angeles will have a safer community. Rather than crucify him, the citizens who have protested should be grateful that he has dedicated 10 years of his life protecting them!

[Harry]

Hey jennifer, why don't you name a specific case and give some facts behind your statement? Im so tired of people making half baked off the wall statements. If you have some proof that officers go out and rape women then bring it forward. If not your just another idiot making a false statement, trying to join we hate the police, they kill innocent people bashing people. Bring it on or go bash someplace else!!!

[Larry]

Oh no, don't be too quick to judge James now. He might have a point.... Hmmmmmm. How about the officer wait until the 'alleged' gang member is on top of him with that gun in his waistband? No, wait a second, the officer should have told him to pull out the gun and fire a few times, like they do in the old west. Yea, that would be more 'gooder' for the nimwits who watch WAY too much CSI. How about we walk out into the middle of the street and have a draw contest???? Murder James? Are you absolutely serious? I bet you still watch those old movies where they wait until they see the whites of their eyes too. Ladies and gentleman, this is a prime example of what drugs are doing to our society. It isn't really Hollywood, television or even bad cartoons. It is those drug abusers who have taken so much and for so long that they are locked in a state of euphoria and think that everyone should see the world through the same distorted glassy eyed goggles that they see out of, otherwise known as ultra-liberal. James, how about stop self-medicating and come toward the light? You might see things a whole lot clearer!!!

[Ed O'Shea]

Jennifer Caldwell: please double up on the lithium! Or put back on your tin foil hat!

[VICKY]

In reading the comment about the suspect running toward Jeff Bright makes me sick but what makes me sicker is the comments by Marc. First of all, the suspect was not running toward the officer. Get your assumptions correct. I hope, Marc, before you get caught up in the system, you reconsider your white supremacy thinking which may be hard to do since behavior doesn't change, it's just modified by medication. By reading your comments, the only medication that can justify your ignorant thinking/ behavior is a lethal overdose of poison. Don't end up like Rod Bernson. He got a wake up call by the same corrupt system he participated in. As I close, what justified Whitherspoon as a gang member? And if he was, does that justify, Jeff Bright making him his third murder victim? Ooops, I mean second murder victim being it that the other 16 year old he tried to kill by shooting him several times, including walking over to him after he was down and putting several more bullets in his back, didn't die.

[Line Reserve Guy]

For all those who feel the plight of the misunderstood Gang Bangers, who are constantly picked on by the Po-Po....check out these YouTube links for MS-13 and the 151 Bloods Pirus....

When viewing these two links, one must ask themselves: how many of these fine young men would be doctors or lawyers or otherwise leaders of their communities if not for the constant opperession of the mean Police and Sheriff Deputies...(Warning Graphic Language)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7Ovem7fdjQ&mode=related&search=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJbn76xza7c