Neighborhood Watch Volunteer Slain in Dispute

The husband of a Neighborhood Watch block captain was fatally wounded when he went to investigate a dispute with neighbors, apparently the first incident of its kind in the two-decade history of the LAPD anti-crime program, police said Monday.

Police officials said it appeared that Keith Brown went beyond the scope of training given to Neighborhood Watch volunteers and allowed himself to be drawn into a dispute Sunday night in Winnetka.

Brown, 42, was shot in the head, neck and abdomen at 8:30 p.m. and died two hours later at Northridge Hospital Medical Center.

Scott James Craft, 33, was booked on suspicion of murder. Craft, who is unemployed, was known for provoking confrontations and yelling at children who stepped on his grass, neighbors said.

Detective Rick Swanston said the incident began when Craft shouted profanity at a woman who was walking her 3-year-old grandchild along the 20400 block of quiet, tree-lined Lorne Street. The child apparently had dragged a stick over the newly resurfaced driveway of Craft’s house, Swanston said.

The woman reported the incident to the watch block captain, Kathy Brown. Brown, her husband and their 5-year-old son went down the street to get Craft’s address, with the apparent intent of reporting the matter to the police.

As Brown approached the home, Craft yelled profanities, police said. They said an argument started and Craft took out a .25-caliber handgun and fired once. Kathy Brown went to call police.

Craft put the gun in his truck and Keith Brown began to walk away. Officers said Brown then picked up a five-foot two-by-four, turned back, threw the piece of lumber down in front of Craft and walked toward him. Craft got his gun and fired several shots, hitting Brown, police said.

“What Brown set out to do was get the address,” Swanston said. “He went beyond that and got involved in an argument. We wouldn’t want him to do that.”

Neighborhood Watch programs have been in effect more than 20 years in Los Angeles, according to Sgt. Stephany Payne, a press spokeswoman.

“Normally, what they are told to do is call the police” when they see trouble, she said. “None of us ever told anyone to take matters into their own hands.”

Tim Kidd, a senior lead officer in the West Valley Division where the shooting took place, said he knows of cases where Neighborhood Watch block captains have tried to be crime fighters. “We’ve had people observe crimes, apprehend suspects,” he said.

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But he never saw a case end “in this situation.”

Kidd said that when he meets with Neighborhood Watch block captains, he has one cardinal rule: “Never put yourself in jeopardy. We never encourage anyone to get involved in disputes.”

USC criminologist Malcolm Klein said this incident is an anomaly and not a sign of growing vigilantism among Neighborhood Watch organizations.