Homicide Report > Howard Gross, 57
Howard Gross, 57
Died Aug. 1, 2009 at 6:43 p.m.
Howard Gross, a 57-year-old white man, was shot by Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies and died Saturday, August 1 in the 9200 block of Ramona Boulevard in Rosemead, authorities said.
Gross, who was wielding two meat cleavers and shouting at authorities to kill him, was shot to death outside his Rosemead apartment. Sheriff's deputies told investigators that they shot Gross after he advanced on them with the cleavers.
Gross had allegedly slipped into a neighbor’s apartment while she was out getting things from her car. He later emerged from a bedroom when she returned and was on her couch, according to a news release from the Sheriff’s Department. The woman recognized the man from an upstairs apartment unit. She screamed, pushed him away and ran out of the apartment before calling police about 6 p.m., authorities said.
Sheriff’s deputies went to the suspect’s door to contact him. After first refusing to open the door, he did so with a meat cleaver in each hand and advanced toward them, yelling at deputies to “kill him,” according to the release.
The department said the deputies withdrew, but the man continued to advance toward them. Two deputies each fired one round at him. He was taken to a hospital, where he died.
— Ari B. Bloomekatz
- Neighborhood: Rosemead
- Age: 57
- Gender: Male
- Cause: Gunshot
- Day of the week: Saturday
- Agency: LASD Homicide
- Race/Ethnicity: White
- Circumstance: Officer-involved
- Crime scene: Public place
Three reader comments about Howard Gross
I don't understand why the police don't use shotgun bean bags for people like this. I know he had meat cleavers, but still!!!
Sept. 1, 2011 at 5:47 p.m.
Susan,
Because once the suspect enters the "kill zone" or "danger zone" which is a 21' circle, their probability of being able to injure or kill an officer is equal to the time it takes for them to fire off a shot (1.5 seconds).
Verbal warnings are given at first, but if the police were armed with bean bags they are in danger of real gunfire coming at them and also just wounding the suspect gives him a chance to continue forward with the weapon. If the officer was to shoot him in the legs with real bullets, they still run that risk on top of the probability of the family and/or the suspect filing charges after the fact.
Which is why they are trained to aim at center mass which is right at the chest. The bottom line is to drop your weapon when ordered to. In this case, as verbally stated by the suspect, it's a classic case of "suicide by cop".
Sept. 2, 2011 at 1:01 p.m.
mightymike33tm3, read about the flight and fear response. I think you will learn that human beings are not robots and when in fear everyone reacts differently.
Sept. 3, 2011 at 1:38 p.m.
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