David Alan Masters

Deadly force

Dave Masters, an ex-green beret who suffered from bi-polar disorder uprooted some flowers from a landscaping business and drove off. The business reported the theft and Masters was pulled over by Officer David Scott Ziants (age 28) and other officers. Masters, who was unarmed, was shot twice as he sat in his other. Ziants later stated that he shot Masters thinking that he was reaching for a weapon and that his car had struck a fellow officer (both of which did not happen). No criminal charges were filed against Ziants, however he was subsequently fired for improper use of deadly force.