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Unarmed Man Fatally Shot By Cops Who Thought He Was an ATM Robber
Photo by carl ballou via Shutterstock
An officer in Downey shot and killed a man who happened to match the description of a suspect who had just robbed an ATM at gunpoint minutes earlier.
Michael Nida, 31, was a father of four who was out, unarmed, to run an errand in his neighborhood Saturday night, while Downey Police looked for a suspect in the armed robbery. Nida was approached by the officer, who says Nida was behaving suspiciously. CBS2 explains what took place:
Lt. Dave Dolson of the LA County Sheriff’s Department, told [a reporter] the officers involved told him Nida “was acting almost like a caged animal.” Dolson said the first time Nida was stopped he was not patted down. The officers believed the “aggressive” action meant Nida might have been armed and they consider him a danger risk.
Nida was found a short distance away and officers ordered him to get on the ground, but he got up and ran again, Dolson said. Officers never checked Nida for a weapon and, believing he was armed, an officer shot him, the lieutenant said. No gun was found.
Nida died at the hospital. His family is devastated, and is extremely angry with the Downey Police. The name of the officer who fired at Nida has not been released.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is conducting an investigation of the shooting.
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