2 Officers Fired 10 Shots at Slain Man, Anaheim Police Say

An Anaheim police sergeant said Friday that the two officers who killed an unarmed man outside his motel room near Disneyland early Thursday fired a total of 10 shots, hitting the man once in the abdomen.

Sgt. Chet Barry also said the officers involved in the shooting had between 2 and 5 years of experience on the force. He would not identify the officers, however.

Robert Vincent Edson, 28, of Orange was shot after he led police on a 45-minute chase that began when the officers attempted to stop him just after midnight Thursday for driving without headlights. When officers followed Edson into the parking lot of the motel, they emerged from their cars with guns drawn, police said. As Edson ran up a flight of steps to his second-floor room, the officers shouted a warning and then fired when he appeared to reach for a weapon in his waistband, police said.

The officers’ response is under investigation by the Orange County district attorney’s office and the Anaheim Police Department.

No Drugs, Weapons Found

Barry said police did not find “anything remarkable”--such as drugs or weapons--in Edson’s possession or in his car or motel room.

“It would appear at this stage that (the officers) were in fear of their safety and that’s why they had their guns drawn,” Barry said Friday. “That’s what we’re investigating.”

Deputy Dist. Atty. Thomas M. Goethals said he could not comment on his investigation. The county coroner’s office also said the results of an autopsy performed Friday are being withheld pending the outcome of the investigation.

Friends of the victim said Thursday that Edson was returning to his motel room after an errand to buy shampoo. His wife, Debbie, and his 9-year-old stepson were waiting in the room at the Galaxy Motor Inn where Edson was shot.

Friends said Edson ran a struggling ticket service for concerts and sporting events, and that he and his wife had recently been evicted from their apartment in Orange because they couldn’t pay the rent. They were temporarily living in the motel.