Cleveland, US. Police kill boy, 12

[JFKvsNixon]

Even if it had been an adult, then the police's 'instinctive' response (given that they were not under direct threat and were presumably wearing body armour in any case) would still have been disproportionate.

 

The fact that it was a child makes it all the more appalling that (a) they were not told that the caller was unsure whether the gun was real or not and (b) that their first resort was to shoot to kill. Do they not have tazers? Are they not trained to wound and disable rather than kill, if they genuinely believe themselves to be in a life-threatening situation?

 

The officers believed that they were under direct threat, they lived in a society with very easy access to firm arms.

 

The time from the child putting his hand on the gun, to raising it and firing it is far less than a second. I'm afraid that their isn't the time to make anything other than an instinctive reaction. They would have most probably shot him in his chest or the abdomen area of his body, because it is the easiest area to hit.

 

Body armer only protects a small amount of the body, and it does not stop all bullets under all circumstances. It is there as a last resort.

 

What was the poor boy thinking?

[Bottletop]

What is totally ironic (and moronic) is the comments that followed that story -

 

"...there have already been calls for tighter controls on fake guns, with one local lawmaker - Alicia Reece - saying she intends to introduce legislation that would require fake guns sold in Ohio to be brightly coloured...."

 

So someone gets killed, they had a fake gun - hey let's control fake guns and maybe eventually ban them!!! Here's a thought, tighter control on REAL guns and ban them!?

 

 

Only in America....

[JFKvsNixon]

The problem with saying 'It's just tough. It's the risk you run if you run about with a replica gun which looks like a real one. There's nothing that can be done', is that you are putting the blame on the child, and not on the out-of-control, gun-obsessed mentality which allows this scenario to develop. 18 young people every day are shot dead in the US. When will they learn?

 

Actually, I think that all involved are victims of a society that has far to easy access to firearms. I agree that the blame should be placed at that door, not at the door of the policemen who were put in an impossible situation.

 

---------- Post added 24-11-2014 at 09:47 ----------

 

What is totally ironic (and moronic) is the comments that followed that story -

 

"...there have already been calls for tighter controls on fake guns, with one local lawmaker - Alicia Reece - saying she intends to introduce legislation that would require fake guns sold in Ohio to be brightly coloured...."

 

So someone gets killed, they had a fake gun - hey let's control fake guns and maybe eventually ban them!!! Here's a thought, tighter control on REAL guns and ban them!?

 

 

Only in America....

 

I agree, if the police officers didn't have a very real fear that the firearm was authentic, then I very much doubt that they'd have acted in the same manner.

Edited November 24, 2014 by JFKvsNixon

[Member]

Unbelievable. A 12 year old with a toy gun is shot and killed by police because they didn't know whether it was real or not (he wasn't pointing it at anyone):

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-30172433

 

This is partly to do with staggering police incompetence, but also a result of a culture in which it is assumed that 12 year olds may well be running around a school yard playing with a real gun.

 

America the land of the free and the home of the brave unless your a ****** then you may as well be mulch. No way would a white kids have been 'offed' like that.

Now way!

[grand]

sorry but they was no need to shoot the boy twice why wasnt he shot with a stun gun are the guns that fire bean bags he was only a kid im sure a stun gun are the bean bag guns would have been more than enough to put the child on ground i can understand the police having to make a decision on the spot but why was a stun gun not used they new they was dealing with a child with a gun that may are may not be real a stun gun are similiar should have been used also why have they shot to kill the lad and why has he been shot twice if they honsetly belived it was a real gun they could have shot him in leg

[martok]

America the land of the free and the home of the brave unless your a ****** then you may as well be mulch. No way would a white kids have been 'offed' like that.

Now way!

 

Prosecutors in Northern California will not bring criminal charges against a sheriff’s deputy who shot and killed a 13-year-old Andy Lopez Cruz for carrying a plastic replica of an assault rifle which the officer mistook for an actual firearm.

 

 

He isn't Black.

[mjw47]

Well the British police haven't exactly always covered themselves with glory in this type of situation have they?

 

http://ccs.infospace.com/ClickHandler.ashx?ld=20141124&app=1&c=im.s1.uk.hp&s=ims1uk&rc=im.s1.uk&dc=&euip=90.211.1.141&pvaid=140d919427924ab99ec6b88a9e5fa4c0&dt=Desktop&fct.uid=c8dcc62e7e824ee5bdbd6c1fe65f43ef&en=8VQDhNXFIEuKav5XXBQBxJa8QAj6%2ftpMxFSP2eFGBqI%3d&du=http%3a%2f%2fnews.bbc.co.uk%2f2%2fhi%2fuk_news%2f460116.stm&ru=http%3a%2f%2fnews.bbc.co.uk%2f2%2fhi%2fuk_news%2f460116.stm&ap=2&coi=239138&cop=main-title&npp=2&p=0&pp=0&ep=2&mid=9&hash=48F99EBB44FBBC04456135CE8EFE734B

[Member]

Prosecutors in Northern California will not bring criminal charges against a sheriff’s deputy who shot and killed a 13-year-old Andy Lopez Cruz for carrying a plastic replica of an assault rifle which the officer mistook for an actual firearm.

 

 

He isn't Black.

Lopez Cruz? Not black but not white either so equally as worthless in the states.

[martok]

Well the British police haven't exactly always covered themselves with glory in this type of situation have they?

 

http://ccs.infospace.com/ClickHandler.ashx?ld=20141124&app=1&c=im.s1.uk.hp&s=ims1uk&rc=im.s1.uk&dc=&euip=90.211.1.141&pvaid=140d919427924ab99ec6b88a9e5fa4c0&dt=Desktop&fct.uid=c8dcc62e7e824ee5bdbd6c1fe65f43ef&en=8VQDhNXFIEuKav5XXBQBxJa8QAj6%2ftpMxFSP2eFGBqI%3d&du=http%3a%2f%2fnews.bbc.co.uk%2f2%2fhi%2fuk_news%2f460116.stm&ru=http%3a%2f%2fnews.bbc.co.uk%2f2%2fhi%2fuk_news%2f460116.stm&ap=2&coi=239138&cop=main-title&npp=2&p=0&pp=0&ep=2&mid=9&hash=48F99EBB44FBBC04456135CE8EFE734B

 

Didn't they also once taser a blind man because they thought his white cane was a samurai sword.

[mjw47]

Didn't they also once taser a blind man because they thought his white cane was a samurai sword.

 

They did indeed, fortunately his heart was sound enough to stand up to it.

 

There was this episode as well.

 

http://ccs.infospace.com/ClickHandler.ashx?ld=20141124&app=1&c=im.s1.uk.hp&s=ims1uk&rc=im.s1.uk&dc=&euip=90.211.1.141&pvaid=1005664e7dab4cdaa9dcaf4044f9ba2e&dt=Desktop&fct.uid=c8dcc62e7e824ee5bdbd6c1fe65f43ef&en=8VQDhNXFIEuKav5XXBQBxJa8QAj6%2ftpMxFSP2eFGBqI%3d&du=http%3a%2f%2fnews.bbc.co.uk%2fonthisday%2fhi%2fdates%2fstories%2fjanuary%2f14%2fnewsid_2530000%2f2530649.stm&ru=http%3a%2f%2fnews.bbc.co.uk%2fonthisday%2fhi%2fdates%2fstories%2fjanuary%2f14%2fnewsid_2530000%2f2530649.stm&ap=3&coi=239138&cop=main-title&npp=3&p=0&pp=0&ep=3&mid=9&hash=FEBB86E507470BB06AEC900A4BD94A55

 

Both police officers were cleared of all charges, as usual.