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Reports: Unarmed man killed when officer was given wrong gun

REDONDO BEACH, Calif. (AP) The deadly shooting of an unarmed man following a police pursuit occurred because an officer was mistakenly handed a shotgun instead of a beanbag stun gun, according to published reports.

Both the Torrance Daily Breeze and Los Angeles Times, quoting unnamed law enforcement sources, reported Wednesday that the fatal shooting of Nathan Lee Rossbach was the result of a tragic error. Rossbach, 40, was killed Sunday.

Officer Michael Strosnider, 30, was described as distraught immediately after the shooting and had to be consoled by fellow officers.

Strosnider, who has been with Redondo Beach Police Department since August 2001, has been placed on administrative leave.

The shooting, which occurred in Los Angeles, was recorded on police videotape and is being investigated by county prosecutors and the Los Angeles Police Department. The tape has not been released by authorities.

Los Angeles police have jurisdiction because the chase that began in Redondo Beach and continued through the cities of Manhattan Beach and El Segundo ended in Los Angeles, said Redondo Beach police Sgt. Phil Keenan.

A preliminary investigation has reportedly found that a senior officer at the scene ordered use of the beanbag gun when Rossbach at first refused to follow orders to get out a stolen SUV.

Another officer handed Strosnider a shotgun and Strosnider fired, hitting Rossbach in the chest, law enforcement sources said.

According to the sources, the gun was not marked with the yellow tape that Redondo police use to identify their less lethal weapons and the shooting occurred in a poorly lit area.

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