Southeast

OFF-DUTY SHOOTING: Long Beach Police are investigating a fatal shooting by an off-duty patrol officer.

Jody Dee Davis, 26, died Tuesday at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center. Davis, unarmed, had been shot twice in the torso by Officer Erik Burks, a 3 1/2-year veteran of the Long Beach force. Burks, 27, is on administrative leave until Sunday.

“The Long Beach officer ended up in the middle of something between Davis and a third subject,” said Sgt. Edward Bish of the Cypress Police Department.

According to Cypress police, also investigating the incident, another driver made a turn Davis didn’t like and a dispute erupted that “escalated to the point where Mr. Davis repeatedly drove his white Chevrolet pickup directly at the motorist and then in reckless circles and into oncoming traffic.”

Finally the pickup came to a stop at a curb. Burks, in the neighborhood, heard the commotion and came out to investigate.

Burks identified himself as an off-duty officer and ordered Davis from the truck, according to Cypress police. Davis got out and shots were fired, according to police, “during subsequent efforts by [Burks] to detain Davis.”