Deandre Brunston

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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 officers) if the dog was released. Brunston was in fact unarmed. He held nothing more than a flip-flop shoe in his right hand, hidden under his T-shirt. Brunston also repeatedly stated that he would throw his "gun" down and surrender if he were allowed to speak to his girlfriend Fonda Brown by phone, but his request was never granted.

Instead, after nearly a half hour of unsuccessful negotiations between Brunston and police, one of the officers 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 and practically all at the same time, the K9 dog sprinted toward Brunston, Brunston tossed the flip-flop at the dog, the police open fired at the suspect (they shot at him 81 times) and a split second before the K-9 attacked the retreating suspect, the K-9 was shot (and stopped) by flying police bullets. Both Brunston and the K9 were seriously wounded in the shooting. The K9 dog received an emergency helicopter airlift to a veterinary hospital where it later died, while Brunston, who was still alive and moving after getting shot 22 times, was left to bleed to death on the concrete steps. Part of this incident was recorded on film -- including the actual shooting -- and various short or full-length videos can be found and viewed on the internet. (See link below)