13-year-old with BB gun killed by police in Columbus, Ohio

[webfact]

13-year-old with BB gun killed by police in Columbus, Ohio

By KANTELE FRANKO and ANN SANNER

 

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A black boy. A white Ohio police officer. A pellet gun that looked like a real weapon. And a deadly shooting.

 

In a killing with unavoidable echoes of the Tamir Rice case out of Cleveland, a Columbus officer responding to a report of a $10 armed robbery shot a 13-year-old boy Wednesday night after the youngster pulled a BB gun from his waistband that looked "practically identical" to the weapon police use, authorities say.

 

On the morning after Tyre King's death, Mayor Andrew Ginther appeared to choke up as he called for the community to come together and questioned why an eighth-grader would have a replica of a police firearm.

 

"There is something wrong in this country, and it is bringing its epidemic to our city streets," Ginther said Thursday. "And a 13-year-old is dead in the city of Columbus because of our obsession with guns and violence."

 

While the case is still under investigation, police and city authorities rejected comparisons to the 2014 killing of 12-year-old Tamir in Cleveland.

 

"The only thing similar in nature is the age, race and outcome," police spokesman Sgt. Rich Weiner said. "The facts are not similar, and that must be reiterated."

 

Officers investigating the robbery report east of downtown Columbus spotted three males who matched the description of the suspects, authorities said. Two of the males ran away when officers tried to speak with them.

 

The police chased the pair into an alley and tried to take them into custody. Tyre pulled out a gun with a laser sight, and an officer fired, hitting the boy repeatedly, police said. Tyre died at a hospital.

 

The officer was identified as Bryan Mason, a nine-year veteran of the force. Police records show that in 2012 he shot and killed a man who was holding another person at gunpoint. The Columbus Dispatch said investigators cleared him.

 

Mason has been placed on leave while Tyre's shooting is investigated, in keeping with department policy. A call to the head of the police union representing him was not immediately returned.

 

In a 911 call Wednesday, the robbery victim calmly indicated he didn't want to make a big deal over $10. Sirens were heard moments later as police searched for the suspects. Then an unidentified witness told a dispatcher: "He's shooting him! Oh, my God!"

 

At a news conference, Police Chief Kim Jacobs displayed a photo of a BB gun like the one Tyre had.

 

"Our officers carry a gun that looks practically identical to this weapon," she said. "As you can see, it looks like a firearm that could kill you."

 

An attorney for Tyre's family, Sean Walton, called for an independent investigation. Walton would not discuss any previous dealings Tyre had with police but said the boy had no violent criminal history. He said the family believes Tyre's involvement in an armed robbery would be "out of character."

 

Tyre played several sports, including football, and was in the young scholars program at school, Walton said. He had a slight build and, if anything, was on the small side for his age, the attorney said.

 

Authorities said it was unclear if the shooting was caught on surveillance or cellphone video. Columbus police don't use body cameras.

 

The male who had been with Tyre was questioned and released pending further investigation, police said.

 

In Tamir's case, a 911 caller reported someone pointing a gun at people near a recreation center. A rookie officer shot the boy almost immediately after pulling up in his cruiser. The officer and his partner were cleared of wrongdoing.

 

The 911 caller had said the person with the gun was probably a juvenile and the weapon was probably fake, but that information was never passed on to the officers.

 

A grand jury concluded they reasonably believed it was a real gun and their lives were in danger, prosecutors said.

 

Prosecutor Tim McGinty said Tamir — who was big for his age — was pulling the pistol from his waistband when he was shot. He said the boy was trying to either hand it over or show police it wasn't real, but the officers had no way of knowing that.

___

Associated Press reporters Andrew Welsh-Huggins and Mike Householder in Columbus, Dan Sewell in Cincinnati and Mark Gillispie in Cleveland contributed to this report.

 

-- © Associated Press 2016-09-16

[Alive]

The police should be the ones with BB guns or at least rubber bullets.

[daoyai]

I nteresting that the AP article talks more about the Tamir Rice case than the current incident....  cue the rioters.

[ezzra]

 

Such in life an many parts of the US now days, one day a cop gets killed, the next day it's a black person's turn, with frilled nerves and huge animosities and mistrusts  coming from the black communities to anything white and hatred for cops, no wonder these things are happening, and it's not going to go away any time soon, and America will,  sadly, will have to live with it for many, many years to come.....

[stevenl]

33 minutes ago, daoyai said:

I nteresting that the AP article talks more about the Tamir Rice case than the current incident....  cue the rioters.

Read the article again.

[Mango Bob]

With the current situation in America why would this kid carry a BB gun like a police gun and pull it out on police.  Just don't make sense.  If this is the case I support the police.  No one should have weapons other than police and military.

[Pimay1]

1 hour ago, Mango Bob said:

With the current situation in America why would this kid carry a BB gun like a police gun and pull it out on police.  Just don't make sense.  If this is the case I support the police.  No one should have weapons other than police and military.

It is reported the type of gun was a pellet gun like the one below. It appears to be a real gun.

 

 

[vogie]

[adhd]

if you pull a gun on a cop, is it not normal to expect to be shot ?

 

local darwin award winner

[Pimay1]

19 minutes ago, vogie said:

This was not the case of an assault weapon. It was a pellet gun and the kid pointed it at the police. The boy is at fault not the police. Without pulling the gun on the police he would have not been shot.

[Doc46]

2 hours ago, Alive said:

The police should be the ones with BB guns or at least rubber bullets.

Yea ,,,Let the Crims have the real guns and the Cops have the BBs and Fake bullets,,,Are you for Real?  Return to Earth you're spaced out.

[Nepsydaz]

Police Statement : A black Kid was shot by a cop when he pointed a BB Gun that looked like a Real Gun:

 

What Media reads: A black Kid shot by a "White" Cop

What I Read " A kid got shot when pointing a gun at a cop.

 

some people in this forum read:  It was not a real gun, it was a BB gun. 

 

 

[phantomfiddler]

It will be just another reason for a good looting session

[geriatrickid]

2 hours ago, Alive said:

The police should be the ones with BB guns or at least rubber bullets.

 

Why? The police officer was unaware  of a $10 crime.  I heard the 911 call recording: An armed thug robbed a woman. The call that came in was that the assailant was ARMED.  The police officer responding caught up with the suspect and the suspect pulled  a gun on the cop.  How was the cop to know it was a BB gun? Have you seen the picture of the gun? It looks like an actual firearm. 

 

Here's a crazy notion. Had this juvenile offender not held up someone, terrified herand not pointed a gun at a police officer, he would not  be dead.

[Credo]

Sadly, young people do not always have much forethought.   In this case, the outcome was tragic.   

[happy Joe]

When it happens that sometimes  kids of 13 years use real firearms confusion is inevitable.

Edited September 16, 2016 by happy Joe

[mesterm]

14 minutes ago, geriatrickid said:

Here's a crazy notion. Had this juvenile offender not held up someone, terrified herand not pointed a gun at a police officer, he would not  be dead.

 

And he was too young to know better. It's an unfortunate turn of events but what would people rather have? That the gun be real and the police officer get shot and killed?

[NongKhaiKid]

In order to verify if in fact a firearm is genuine or not police officers should allow themselves or members of the public to be shot first.

Maybe then the police can go on a looting spree.

[augustwest]

Not sure but the kid probably didn't buy this gun. His parents probably bought it caving into the kids wants. If that is the case I blame the parents for their child's death. It's not like this was the first time a tragedy like this has occurred. If anyone no matter their age pointed that thing at me I would have shot first in self defense.

[MaxYakov]

Don't even need to have something resembling a gun to be shot by LE, as Mr. Dylan Noble confirmed. Simply pretend to have a weapon. Being black is not a requirement either.:

 

 

 

[daveAustin]

Unfortunate, but if a kid pulls a 'gun' on a cop, especially in the states at this time, then there will be recriminations whatever the colour. The parents should be prosecuted. On the black thing; if they're committing more crimes, it doesn't take an Einstein brain to calculate the outcome.

[DM07]

"The only thing similar in nature is the age, race and outcome," police spokesman Sgt. Rich Weiner said. 

...ahm...say what?!

[wayned]

1 hour ago, Credo said:

Sadly, young people do not always have much forethought.   In this case, the outcome was tragic.   

Sadly old farts don't either.  Just read the BS on the forums on TV!

[Strange]

Im happy that a lot of the posts here so far are sensible. 

 

Pro Tip - don't try and act like ur gonna shoot a cop. BB Gun, Hidden "Finger Guns" just don't do it. 

 

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. 

[thaihome]

3 hours ago, Pimay1 said:

It is reported the type of gun was a pellet gun like the one below. It appears to be a real gun.

 

 

 

Most pellet guns sold today have an orange mark onto the end of the barrel.  The police have only shown the photo above of a "similar" pellet gun and not the actual one used by the teenager. 

TH 

[Alive]

2 hours ago, geriatrickid said:

 

Why? The police officer was unaware  of a $10 crime.  I heard the 911 call recording: An armed thug robbed a woman. The call that came in was that the assailant was ARMED.  The police officer responding caught up with the suspect and the suspect pulled  a gun on the cop.  How was the cop to know it was a BB gun? Have you seen the picture of the gun? It looks like an actual firearm. 

 

Here's a crazy notion. Had this juvenile offender not held up someone, terrified herand not pointed a gun at a police officer, he would not  be dead.

 

Yes, the kid is a victim of himself. But was a killing necessary? I bet the cop himself has regrets about this. It wasn't the only way for this to end. It just wasn't. Killing is easy these days. BTW, would the kid have been smarter to have a real gun?

 

A funny thing about death is many will blame the victims. A hell of a lot of cops (and soldiers) throughout recent US history who went on to live happy lives were straight out murderers. The people even call them heroes or victims. All I am saying is society could do better for its people (and foreign peoples), both good and bad. I just have more respect for cops who don't shoot and don't tell me there aren't cops (and soldiers) out there like that. If you look at gun crimes in Europe, I bet you will find a higher percentage of captures than kills than the US has. It's a choice that society and government makes but the US is full of excuses for its failings as a civilized nation. 

 

 

 

 

 

[williamgeorgeallen]

where the hell would a 13 year old kid get the idea that he should draw a handgun on cop? (dosent matter if it was real fake? is this what kids learn from their friends or from tv?

sounds like the cop did his job. hope the riots are not too bad.

[smutcakes]

Amazing how many of these issues happen in the US. Now what could be the stand out difference between the US and lets say Europe? gun ownership perhaps

[Strange]

17 minutes ago, smutcakes said:

Amazing how many of these issues happen in the US. Now what could be the stand out difference between the US and lets say Europe? gun ownership perhaps

 

You are probably the guy that would rather let someone break into their home and steal your hard earned stuff whilst hiding in the bathroom and frantically calling emergency services to come and save you, rather than putting that sucker down and sleeping like a baby. 

[smutcakes]

2 minutes ago, Strange said:

 

You are probably the guy that would rather let someone break into their home and steal your hard earned stuff whilst hiding in the bathroom and frantically calling emergency services to come and save you, rather than putting that sucker down and sleeping like a baby. 

 

Or that person who has never been burgled or had a gun pulled on them or pulled a gun on anyone else, because i luckily i am from a society where gun crime is extremely rare, and gun ownership is very limited.