Slain Man’s Relatives Criticize Officer’s Use of Deadly Force

The family of a Hollywood grip who was shot and killed by an off-duty police officer mourned their loss Wednesday, and demanded to know more about the fatal confrontation.

Christopher Oliver, 27, was shot to death in his Woodland Hills neighborhood by Los Angeles Police Sgt. Steve Ulrich, a 13-year department veteran. Police allege that Oliver was drunk and drove his truck toward Ulrich, who fired in self-defense.

Both men lived within half a block of the site of the shooting. Oliver allegedly had driven his truck erratically, hitting six parked cars late Sunday night.

Oliver’s uncle, Rick Carden, said he believed an axle of the truck may have been broken, making it difficult to drive the vehicle.

“If the vehicle can’t move, he can’t go anywhere,” Carden said. “Maybe the engine was revving and the officer thought he was going to floor it. Chris put himself in a bad situation, but this got way worse.”

Police declined to comment on the idea that Oliver’s truck was inoperable. LAPD spokesman Lt. Horace Frank said an internal investigation has begun, as well as an investigation by the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.

Police wouldn’t talk specifically about Ulrich’s actions but said officers are trained to stop any threat.

“If an officer shoots out the tires, there is no guarantee that will stop the vehicle,” Frank said. “Lethal force is always the last resort.”

While friends and family didn’t excuse Oliver’s actions, they said it should not have resulted his shooting death.

“We’re not saying Chris was totally innocent, but this went too far,” said Oliver’s cousin Gary Beaird Jr.

Ulrich hasn’t returned to his job in the LAPD’s ombudsman office, where he has been assigned for the last year. He couldn’t be reached for comment.

Family and friends described Oliver as a doting father whose life revolved around his 8-year-old son.

The boy’s mother, Jo Ellen Fricione, said Oliver recently flew from Sacramento after working all night to watch his son’s Little League game the next morning.

“His whole life was spent around his son,” she said. “He was the kind of dad every kid wants.”