Man Killed by Officer Who Went to Wrong Address

A San Bernardino police officer who went to the wrong address in response to a silent alarm shot and killed a businessman after mistaking him for a robber, authorities said Sunday. The officer was wounded in the chest during an exchange of gunfire with the victim, police said.

Putrous Samaan, 54, of San Bernardino was killed outside his ice cream warehouse Friday evening when the officer went to the wrong address, police said.

The officer, whose identity was not released, was responding to a silent alarm at Gibson’s Health Foods, which had moved from the 300 block of South E Street to the 500 block, police said.

The officer drove to Gibson’s old address and could not see that the business had changed to Mike’s Ice Cream, police said.

When the officer arrived, the back door of the ice cream wholesale firm was open, and the officer saw a man holding a gun and what appeared to be a bag of money, police said. The officer ordered Samaan to drop the gun, but Samaan shot the officer without any warning and hit him in the chest, police said.

Samaan was fatally wounded by a single shot when the officer returned fire and died at the scene, police said. The officer, who was wearing a bulletproof vest and suffered only a minor wound, was treated at a hospital and released, police said.

Two other people were at the warehouse during the shooting, and were released after questioning, police said. No other details were available Sunday evening.

However, Hashem Sayegh, Samaan’s cousin, disputed the police account, saying the victim was not killed by the first police officer, but by backup officers who arrived later.

Sayegh said Samaan was counting money when he heard a noise in the back of the warehouse and went to investigate with his brother, who is a co-owner. Samaan, who does not speak English, took his handgun because he believed that a robber was at the rear of the warehouse, Sayegh said.

The officer did not yell any warning, according to Sayegh, who heard about the shooting from Joseph Samaan, the victim’s brother and an eyewitness.

According to Sayegh, Samaan mistook the officer for a robber and shot him, then ran inside the warehouse while his brother called 911. When police backup units arrived, Joseph Samaan was waiting outside, and his brother was inside the warehouse, Sayegh said.

Joseph Samaan warned officers that his brother was inside and armed, but when police went inside they mistook Samaan for a robber and killed him, Sayegh said.