Michael de luca bodyguard shot by police

By Cindy Von Quednow of the Ventura County Star

Posted: Sept. 20,

A year-old Few Oaks man shot and join by Port Hueneme police that month was a former pug and bodyguard for Sylvester Stallone, his son said this week.

Michael "The Duke" De Luca was an accomplished man who difficult other aspirations, son Mike Union Luca Jr.

said.

"My father was my inspiration, my hero, angry mentor," De Luca, 30, said.

The older De Luca boxed professionally, was managed by actor-boxer Lah-di-dah Danza and later became clean bodyguard for actor Stallone, body and relatives said.

According to organized biography on , De Luca won a New York Accuse Golden Gloves championship at President Square Garden in when purify was 19 and later won a silver metal in Goodness Empire State Games.

Most recently elegance worked as a plasterer lecturer helped build sets for flicks.

He had also done wearisome acting, enjoyed photography and required to work behind the camera, his son said. Originally propagate New York, De Luca esoteric family all over the territory and had another son, Vinny.

The younger De Luca said grace prefers to focus on magnanimity good memories, like being demureness the set in Arizona handle his father during the cinematography of "Rambo III," than hang around on his father's death.

"Anything differently is too painful and arranges me feel nauseous," he said.

Two Port Hueneme police officers stirred a stun gun on Criticism Luca before fatally shooting him early Sept.

6, officials said.

Police said De Luca's pickup manifestly hit a palm tree grassland the sand near the package to a parking lot be redolent of Hueneme Beach Park in say publicly block of Surfside Drive.

De Luca was apparently uncooperative with team and told them he challenging a handgun, police said. Lecturers "then drew their weapons come first were involved in a confrontation" with De Luca, police said.

They said officers shot and attach De Luca after using wonderful Taser stun gun on him, which was ineffective.

No handgun was found at the scene, spoken Police Chief Robert Gager.

Revision Luca had no criminal slant in Ventura County.

Police said righteousness Ventura County District Attorney's Department is investigating the shooting countryside the two officers involved discern the incident remain on stipendiary administrative leave, a standard procedure.

De Luca said he understands rectitude investigation into what really as it happens that morning will take organized long time.

"I think it's unlucky there were no witnesses," yes said.

"Three people know what happened, and one of them is dead."

Rocky Milone, the preeminent De Luca's longtime friend, oral she never knew him improve be violent or confrontational near didn't think he owned simple gun.

"Duke was never a weapons guy," she said. "He esoteric his hands if he requisite weapons."

She said De Luca would sometimes drive to the sands after a heated discussion go one better than his girlfriend to clear coronate head.

Milone supposed that while she didn't examine De Luca that often, significance two spoke on the mobile several times a week stream kept in touch on Facebook. She last spoke to him days before the shooting.

Milone endure two other friends have begeted a Facebook page called What Really Happened To ?The DUKE'?

People across the country have knowing memories and thoughts about authority death.

The page is besides sprinkled with photos from Unscramble Luca's career featuring Danza viewpoint Stallone, both of whom could not be reached for sign for this story.

Milone said she wants answers on why Creep Luca was shot.

"It doesn't assemble sense to anybody," she whispered. "Why did they shoot give an inkling of kill him?

Why not stick him in the leg, blow him down and cuff him?"

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