Slain Neighborhood Watch Activist Was Shot 3 Times in Back, Police Say

A Neighborhood Watch activist who was shot to death in a confrontation with a neighbor suffered three bullet wounds in the back and one in the chin, Los Angeles police said Tuesday.

That finding helped police decide that the fatal shooting in Winnetka on Sunday of Keith Brown cannot be justified as self-defense by Scott Craft, authorities said.

The investigation shows that Craft first shot Brown in the back of the shoulder, according to police. Brown then picked up a length of wood and advanced on Craft, but dropped the weapon.

Craft then shot Brown once in the chin, authorities said. Police believe that shot may have spun Brown around so that Craft’s next two shots struck him in the lower back.

Those revelations in the case--the first known shooting of one of the thousands of Neighborhood Watch volunteers--will be presented Wednesday to prosecutors, who will make the final decision on whether to charge Craft.

Craft, 33, booked as a murder suspect, is being held without bail. Records indicate that Craft has two misdemeanor convictions, including driving under the influence and solicitation to purchase a controlled substance. In both cases, Craft paid a fine and was sentenced to probation.

On Tuesday, several neighbors on quiet, tree-lined Lorne Street, where the shooting took place, complained that it took 10 to 15 minutes for paramedics to treat Brown even after they arrived.

Police said the delay was unavoidable.

“When there is an armed gunmen in the area, the firemen and ambulance aren’t allowed to go in until the location is secured,” said Detective Rick Swanston. “They don’t have flak jackets and guns.”

Outside Brown’s home, his turquoise pool service work truck sat in the driveway as relatives and friends came to visit the family. His wife, Kathy, the Neighborhood Watch captain, declined to discuss the killing but said a memorial was being set up to honor her husband.