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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
I agree it is a complex issue and really very sad. What I don't understand is why they couldn't have shot him in the leg and incapacitated him? I thought they had to learn how to shoot.
It is a sad situation and there were a number of ways around it. I don't know as if we have the whole scoop on the subject. I can completely understand the cops having their hackles up with a kid walking down the street with what "appears" to be an assault rifle. Perhaps the cops could have done more and perhaps the kid could have listened to and followed directives.....
I know this for sure. If that were a real weapon and the kid was walking down the street, shooting into random houses... everyone would be crying, "where is law enforcement when you need it".
So much more could have been done. That and the loss of life is what saddens me.
I know this for sure. If that were a real weapon and the kid was walking down the street, shooting into random houses... everyone would be crying, "where is law enforcement when you need it".
So much more could have been done. That and the loss of life is what saddens me.
Unfortunately, this is a REALLY tough one to call...
One the one hand, the police should have taken a BIT more time to assess the situation.
On the other hand, we've all be "trained" to expect the worst when it comes to gun violence (and cops shoot 1st, ask questions later).
And if the gun had been real, and the boy had opened fire on the cops, killing one or 2, and a 3rd cop had shot him dead? The 3 cops (2 dead and the shooting officer) would have been declared "hero's" by all, and it would have made national news.
This is an extremely sad situation.
No one wins.
One the one hand, the police should have taken a BIT more time to assess the situation.
On the other hand, we've all be "trained" to expect the worst when it comes to gun violence (and cops shoot 1st, ask questions later).
And if the gun had been real, and the boy had opened fire on the cops, killing one or 2, and a 3rd cop had shot him dead? The 3 cops (2 dead and the shooting officer) would have been declared "hero's" by all, and it would have made national news.
This is an extremely sad situation.
No one wins.
The investigation shows that it was 10 seconds between the time they stopped him and the time they shot him.
I can easily imagine that the boy was frozen like a 'deer in the headlight' and couldn't respond right away but 10 seconds does not give time for a response anyway.
The FBI is investigating and I am so glad. We have enough issues without trigger happy cops on the road.
I can easily imagine that the boy was frozen like a 'deer in the headlight' and couldn't respond right away but 10 seconds does not give time for a response anyway.
The FBI is investigating and I am so glad. We have enough issues without trigger happy cops on the road.
Our police forces have been taught to shoot to kill and ask questions later.
This could have been me back in the early 70s carrying a tired little boy's toy rifle on my shoulder !!!! But at that time, a police car did stop and talk to me, never threatening, friendly in fact.
This could have been me back in the early 70s carrying a tired little boy's toy rifle on my shoulder !!!! But at that time, a police car did stop and talk to me, never threatening, friendly in fact.
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