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Investigation Continues On Fatal Club Shooting

BALTIMORE (WJZ)--Two men were killed in a late-night shooting, one of them a city police officer. Calls for an independent investigation continue.

Alex DeMetrick reports the officers' union is now responding.

The Fraternal Order of Police says it would welcome an outside probe, but only if it follows standard procedures.

It's a given that patrolling Baltimore's streets can be dangerous. Sometimes a shift ends with an ambulance ride or worse. And when the call goes out that an officer is down, the response is instant and massive.

That's what happened Sunday morning outside a Baltimore nightclub, where fights were breaking out.

"Your adrenaline is through the roof," said Gene Ryan, VP of Fraternal Order of Police. "I'm sure all the officers saw was just the gun. It was a melee. It was totally out of control. I honestly believe they did what they thought was necessary."

Officer William Torbit Jr. held that gun while wearing plainclothes and was killed by friendly fire.

Sean Gamble, 22, was unarmed when he was shot and killed. Four others were injured as four other officers fired 41 shots.

"I want you to clap your hands 41 shots. I want you to understand the amount of shots [fired] on this corner," said a concerned community member at a rally held Thursday night.

While the shooting generated a rally over police policy, the union says officers were only following their training.

"Forty-one shots is not out of the ordinary when you divide it by five. We're taught to incapacitate. We shoot multiple times," Ryan said.

But following the funeral of Gamble, family and others are calling for a federal probe.

"Believe me. This is a fallen officer. This is one of our family, one of our own," Ryan said. "We want the truth to come out."

The FOP would welcome an outside probe after the department is done.

"Everyone needs to understand that they have to let them complete their job before they can review it," Ryan said. "We're not hiding anything. It's ludicrous for anyone to think that."

Established procedure calls for the department's investigation to first be reviewed by the state's attorney.

It will take about three weeks for the department to complete an investigation into Sunday's multiple shootings.

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