Gun violence just cannot seem to stop in America, and the police in particular have been pretty lax in their circumspection when applying fatal force in recent times.
The whole furore over the Michael Brown shooting has barely died down, whilst last week another innocent bystander lost his life to a police shooting; before this sad case has also erupted in Cleveland, Ohio.
USA Today reports police in Cleveland fatally shot a 12 year old boy wielding what turned out to be a replica gun. The boy was holding the pistol waving it around, so a concerned neighbour called 911 to report it.
Police were dispatched to the scene, and when the boy was asked to raise his hands, he made to retrieve the fake gun but did not point it at the police; one of the two officers fired twice into his torso anyway.
The boy, identified as Tamir E Rice, was rushed to Metro Health Medical Centre, but died a short while later.
Tamir was said to be pointing his replica pistol, commonly referred to as a ‘BB’ gun, at people at Cudell Recreational Centre and using it to scare them. An individual in a building across from the park realised it and called 911, but informed them it was just a kid and that it was probably a fake gun.
“There is a guy with a pistol, it’s probably fake, but he’s pointing it at everyone”
He then adds again that the gun is probably a fake, and repeats that “he’s probably a juvenile”
But the police responding to the scene were never relayed that information, a Deputy Chief of Police told the press.
An investigation is currently underway, whilst the two officers have been put on paid administrative leave.
This post was published on November 24, 2014 8:46 AM
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