13-year-old with pellet gun shot 7 times...

[KeepItShut]

Originally Posted by Dizzy82

It happened in California. So yes, what are they suppost to think when they see a young person strolling down the street totting an AK-47?

Remember the last time a couple guys were out in the streets in Cali?

[Envy]

My first thought was...it ain't that easy to hear what someone is saying when you have a hoodie on...so your first impulse would likely be to turn around to see who was addressing you. And since when did wearing a hoodie become an unsavory look or justification for being shot and killed?

The problem with this story is everyone assumes that the officer's account of what happened is the truth...and while it might be the truth...history (and video footage) tells us that officers are capable of altering the truth to cover their asses. About 10 days ago there was a shooting here in Dallas where a police officer shot a mentally ill man that was over twenty feet away. While both officers said that the man came at them with the knife raised in a threatening manner...a residents surveillance camera proved otherwise. Here's a link to that story...and charges have since been dropped against the victim in this shooting...

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/10/1...allas-officer/

The similarity I find between these two cases was that both incidents had two officers at the scene...but only one officer felt threatened enough to discharge their weapon. The only reason I can come up with for that was that the situation wasn't as threatening as we're led to believe...too bad there isn't any video of what actually happened in the CA shooting.

[FenwickHockey65]

Uh, pretty sure the fact that there was what resembled an AK-47 involved is what lead to the shooting, not the hoodie.

[el ess A]

Without any other evidence (eyewitness, video, etc.), then the police's version is what happened. Don't care if it actually is true, but go ahead and dispute it without any supporting evidence to the contrary. Good luck with that.

At least the kid wasn't found with Skittles and a soft drink in his hands. Now THAT would be another story altogether. But he had what appeared at the time to look like a real weapon. I glanced at the photo of the fake gun and instantly thought it was a real one until I read the commentary. And I wasn't trying to make a snap judgment about the weapon to see if it was fake or not.

Turn around and raise a real looking fake gun (as alleged) on any officer that's ready and see what happens. Doesn't matter intent. You're going down like a tired old ass-clown. No matter who's right, you're still dead.

Until there's evidence brought forth to the contrary, I'm siding with the LEOs on this one.

[motorhead]

Originally Posted by KeepItShut

I don't think open carry applies in this situation. Open carry refers to a holstered weapon on the hip or a rifle with a sling. Maybe if this airsoft gun had a two-point sling and was on his back... I don't know. Even people that open carry in their respected states know the law and wouldn't actually hold the firearm and walk around.s

It's not uncommon where I live to see someone in town walking with a rifle. That's why I ask. Is it a good idea? No. But in my area carrying a gun isn't going to have the cops leaping onto you with guns blazing. I know Ca is a totally different world from where I live. So that's probably why cops react that way.

How do we know that kid wasn't just heading to a friends house to shoot. It's not uncommon here. I just think that there might have been other ways they could have gone about checking out the kid without throwing the lights on and breaking out guns. A kid that age would probably be scared and not be able to think clearly enough to know how to react probably. None of us was there so it's easy to Monday morning quarterback though. Our cops have a very difficult job to perform and often have to make split second decisions. That's why I greatly respect what they do, but on the other hand they are also human and don't always use the best judgement.

I guess the only people that really know what could have or could have not been done are the people involved. I'm sure no one feels worse than them for what happen, and they have to live with it every day.

[Envy]

Originally Posted by FenwickHockey65

Uh, pretty sure the fact that there was what resembled an AK-47 involved is what lead to the shooting, not the hoodie.

Thanks for that update...but I think you're restating the obvious here. I was responding to someone's earlier comment about the teen's "choice of what to wear and to look unsavory"...which I thought was ridiculous.

Clearly if the teen had left the pellet gun at home...none of this would have happened. So I am in no way taking sides here...LEO's have an incredibly difficult job and very tough decisions to make in the blink of an eye...I just wish that deadly force wasn't the result so often these days.

[CamaroDreams07]

Originally Posted by real deal 101

Understandable but that's not the case.
The person yielding the "weapon" was a child and clearly had the frame and body of a 13 year old kid.
That's the factor that's being ignored on here. The kid wasn't a 18 year old with the build of that of an adult. Wearing a hoodie and holding a gun was plain stupid but the cops should of analyzed the situation properly. I'm pretty sure police officers go thru extensive training in analyzing the various situations just like they do when firing to kill.


Let the bashing on MY opinion begin.

So your opinion is that a bullet fired by a 13 year old hurts less than from an 18 year old? Brilliant.

And what, we are supposed to assume that if it's a "child," that it's a fake gun? Turn on the news, kids have REAL guns these days and use them indiscriminately on a regular basis. I'd argue that a child with a firearm is more dangerous.

It's just a shame this his "parents" weren't on the receiving end of some of it.

Now, what I do question is the timeline. I've read reports that shots were fired between 6-10 seconds from the deputies first reporting a suspicious person. They also say they asked him to drop the weapon twice. Seems pretty quick to me.

In any case, we now have another reason to have national discussion on racism and the "parents" will likely become minor celebrities and profit.

[upflying]

For all the fans of warning shots, wounding shots, small framed person, should have realized it was a child theories, how about the school shooter in Sparks NV?
He was 12 I think, killed teacher and two kids before killing himself.
Warning or wounding shots for him since he was only 12?
Name of the shooter has been released.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/24/justic...ting-survivor/

[CamaroDreams07]

Originally Posted by upflying

For all the fans of warning shots, wounding shots, small framed person, should have realized it was a child theories, how about the school shooter in Sparks NV?
He was 12 I think, killed teacher and two kids before killing himself.
Warning or wounding shots for him since he was only 12?

+1. You have to wonder if these tree-huggers' lives were in danger, would they want the police to use warning shots?

[upflying]

This kid murdered his teacher in Massachusetts. He was only 14 and armed with a box cutter. Had police intervened during the assualt, how many shots should the police fire to stop him?
http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/23/justic...chools-closed/

[mikeyg36]

The kid deserved it. Never paint over the orange tip on an airsoft gun, and NEVER point ANYTHING at a cop, it's pretty basic knowledge.

[Deki]

Originally Posted by FenwickHockey65

Two officers, all rounds fired by one of them.

Does seem slightly excessive. I think that was the result of panic more than anything else.

Trust me, you don't count the amount of rounds you fire under stress.

[Ksmoke]

A 13 year old kid is dead. I really do not understand how any one can be blaming him. He was walking home, he wasn't in a public building waving around his pellet gun causing a scene. The kid was walking home from most likely playing with his friends which I can bet majority of people including myself have done when you were younger. (IE walked home from playing paintball..airsoft etc.) The officers yelled to him when his back was to them and as he turned they opened fire? Its a tough situation to be in being an officer, but more restraint should have been taken besides immediately resulting to opening fire before the facts are known. No on was in immediate danger. Situation couldve been handled better imo..

[Ksmoke]

Originally Posted by upflying

This kid murdered his teacher in Massachusetts. He was only 14 and armed with a box cutter. Had police intervened during the assualt, how many shots should the police fire to stop him?
http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/23/justic...chools-closed/

2 complete different situations?

One situation a kid walking down the street with a toy gun and the other a kid in the process of slicing someone? The two don't even relate.