Jennifer Cruz v. the City of Anaheim

OPINION

KOZINSKI, Chief Judge:

Nobody likes a game of “he said, she said,” but far worse is the game of “we said, he’s dead.” Sadly, this is too often what we face in police shooting cases like this one.

I

In early December 2009, a confidential informant told Anaheim police officer Nathan Stauber that Ceasar Cruz was a gang member who sold methamphetamine and carried a gun. Following this lead, Stau-ber determined that Cruz was a discharged parolee whose prior convictions included a felony involving a firearm. Later, the informant told Stauber where Cruz was, what his vehicle looked like and that…