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13-year-old boy carrying pellet gun shot dead by police in California
Police in Santa Rosa say they thought the replica firearm the teenager was carrying as he walked to a friend's house was real
Hundreds of people marched through the northern Californian town of Santa Rosa on Wednesday night to demand justice for the death of a 13-year-old boy shot by police while carrying a pellet gun to his friend’s house.
Andy Lopez was killed the day after a 12-year-old boy shot dead a maths teacher and himself at a school in the neighbouring state of Nevada. Two Santa Rosa sheriff’s deputies said they opened fire after repeatedly asking Andy to drop the replica assault rifle, which they believed to be real. The teenager was declared dead at the scene on Tuesday.
According to the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office, the deputies were driving by when they spotted the teenager walking “with what appeared to be some type of rifle”. Lopez had his back to the officers, who did not realise he was a boy. They called for backup and, they said, ordered him twice to drop the gun. The teenager was around 20-30ft away when he turned towards them. “He was holding the weapon in his left hand,” said Lt Paul Henry of Santa Rosa Police. “He began to turn toward his right in the direction of the deputy, and he moved the gun toward the deputy, and the deputy’s mindset was that he was fearful he would be shot.”
One eyewitness recounted the incident to the news station KGO-TV. “He pulled over to the kid walking and he just opened the door and shot him, three shots,” Ismael Mondragon said.
The boy’s father, Rodrigo Lopez, told reporters his son had borrowed the replica AK-47 from a friend, and was walking to the other boy’s home to return it. “It’s not right what they did to my son,” Mr Lopez said.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/13yearold-boy-carrying-pellet-gun-shot-dead-by-police-in-california-8900696.html
Hundreds of people marched through the northern Californian town of Santa Rosa on Wednesday night to demand justice for the death of a 13-year-old boy shot by police while carrying a pellet gun to his friend’s house.
Andy Lopez was killed the day after a 12-year-old boy shot dead a maths teacher and himself at a school in the neighbouring state of Nevada. Two Santa Rosa sheriff’s deputies said they opened fire after repeatedly asking Andy to drop the replica assault rifle, which they believed to be real. The teenager was declared dead at the scene on Tuesday.
According to the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office, the deputies were driving by when they spotted the teenager walking “with what appeared to be some type of rifle”. Lopez had his back to the officers, who did not realise he was a boy. They called for backup and, they said, ordered him twice to drop the gun. The teenager was around 20-30ft away when he turned towards them. “He was holding the weapon in his left hand,” said Lt Paul Henry of Santa Rosa Police. “He began to turn toward his right in the direction of the deputy, and he moved the gun toward the deputy, and the deputy’s mindset was that he was fearful he would be shot.”
One eyewitness recounted the incident to the news station KGO-TV. “He pulled over to the kid walking and he just opened the door and shot him, three shots,” Ismael Mondragon said.
The boy’s father, Rodrigo Lopez, told reporters his son had borrowed the replica AK-47 from a friend, and was walking to the other boy’s home to return it. “It’s not right what they did to my son,” Mr Lopez said.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/13yearold-boy-carrying-pellet-gun-shot-dead-by-police-in-california-8900696.html
If toy guns were all bright colored and looked like Spaceranger ray guns there wouldn't be a problem.
And I beg to differ about who buys what for kids, especially when that kid is 13.
I had carried a toy rifle in Golden Gate park. It belonged to my son's friend. And a cop did stop and talked with me. We laughed and they day went on.
However all this is moot.
Cops should not shoot first and ask questions later.
And even if it was a real gun and he was an adult, what if he'd just purchased it and was walking home ?? A crime was not being committed.
I've seen real guns for sale at garage sales.
The kid had the toy gun in his left hand. The cop called out, and he turned to the right. The cops shot him dead~ all within 10 seconds.The kid was probably turning to see why or if they were talking to him.
AND the cop was an ex- Iraqi war vet. Could have been PTS.
BTW: If I'm not mistaken my friend, you have girls ?? I had both.
And I beg to differ about who buys what for kids, especially when that kid is 13.
I had carried a toy rifle in Golden Gate park. It belonged to my son's friend. And a cop did stop and talked with me. We laughed and they day went on.
However all this is moot.
Cops should not shoot first and ask questions later.
And even if it was a real gun and he was an adult, what if he'd just purchased it and was walking home ?? A crime was not being committed.
I've seen real guns for sale at garage sales.
The kid had the toy gun in his left hand. The cop called out, and he turned to the right. The cops shot him dead~ all within 10 seconds.The kid was probably turning to see why or if they were talking to him.
AND the cop was an ex- Iraqi war vet. Could have been PTS.
BTW: If I'm not mistaken my friend, you have girls ?? I had both.
"Talk to the manufacturers about that."
It's not the Manufacturers that are buying them for their kids. That would be their Parents.
It's not the Manufacturers that are buying them for their kids. That would be their Parents.
I'm not okay with anyone having an AK47 but they do. In fact there was this group running around a couple of years ago wanting to carry firearms into Starbucks and such.
This morning's radio talk show said he was walking down the street to a nearby field where the local kids often use their BB guns.
The cop has been quoted as saying he can't remember if he identified himself as a cop or not.
If this cop lived in the neighborhood or maybe even in the same town, he'd know that was where the kids shot their bbguns. In fact, if he lived in the neighborhood, he might even know these kids.
Glass~ This was a 13 year old boy with a BB gun. I agree they shouldn't look like assault weapons. Talk to the manufacturers about that.
This morning's radio talk show said he was walking down the street to a nearby field where the local kids often use their BB guns.
The cop has been quoted as saying he can't remember if he identified himself as a cop or not.
If this cop lived in the neighborhood or maybe even in the same town, he'd know that was where the kids shot their bbguns. In fact, if he lived in the neighborhood, he might even know these kids.
Glass~ This was a 13 year old boy with a BB gun. I agree they shouldn't look like assault weapons. Talk to the manufacturers about that.
Wait, are you saying that you are okay with a kid walking around with an AK47? When you say the words "in a field" I think it puts my above case more into perspective. "In a field" to me conjures up the idea of witnessing this from afar. That being the case, nobody could tell if that was a real gun or not.
If this kid was not walking around with something that looked like an AK, my guess is he'd be eating cereal and watching cartoon this morning.
If this kid was not walking around with something that looked like an AK, my guess is he'd be eating cereal and watching cartoon this morning.
“So where were the adults?”
I guess they are out buying their kids replicas of Assault Weapons so they act shocked and innocent when it causes the Death of a Child.
I guess they are out buying their kids replicas of Assault Weapons so they act shocked and innocent when it causes the Death of a Child.
I know that all reports say he was walking through an empty field. When all reports claim the same thing, I do tend to believe them.
So, yes other than the fact I wasn't there to eyewitness the kid walking along, II do know the kid was walking through an empty field.
This happened about an hour or so from where I live and the local news has been all over it.
So, yes other than the fact I wasn't there to eyewitness the kid walking along, II do know the kid was walking through an empty field.
This happened about an hour or so from where I live and the local news has been all over it.
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