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Excerpt: "A Cleveland officer was less than 10 feet away when he fatally shot a 12-year-old boy carrying a pellet gun near a playground, and video of the shooting is clear about what happened, police said on Monday."

A 12-year-old Cleveland boy died one day after he was shot by a police officer who responded to a call about a boy pointing a gun at a playground. (photo: AP)
A 12-year-old Cleveland boy died one day after he was shot by a police officer who responded to a call about a boy pointing a gun at a playground. (photo: AP)


ALSO SEE: Police in Utah Kill More People Than Gang Members Do

Police Defend Killing of 12-Year-Old With Toy Gun

By Associated Press

25 November 14

 

  • Officer was less than 10ft from Tamir Rice, 12, when he fired

  • Slain boy was carrying a pellet gun at time of shooting

Cleveland officer was less than 10 feet away when he fatally shot a 12-year-old boy carrying a pellet gun near a playground, and video of the shooting is clear about what happened, police said on Monday.

The boy was confronted on Saturday by officers responding to a 911 call about a male who appeared to be pulling a gun in and out of his waistband.

The 911 caller said the gun was “probably fake”, then added, “I don’t know if it’s real or not.” Deputy Chief Edward Tomba said on Monday that he did not know whether a dispatcher shared that information with responding officers.

The president of the Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association has said the officers were not told the caller thought the gun might be fake.

Police say Tamir Rice, who died on Sunday, had an “airsoft” gun that appeared indistinguishable from a real firearm. Airsoft guns fire spherical plastic pellets and have orange tips to show they are not real firearms, but police said the one the boy had did not have the bright safety indicator.

Authorities said the boy was told to raise his hands and was shot when he pulled the pellet gun from his waistband, though he had not pointed it at police or made verbal threats.

“Our officers at times are required to make critical decisions in a split second,” Chief Calvin Williams said. “Unfortunately this is one of those times.”

Tomba said surveillance video of the shooting is “very clear” about what occurred, but he would not discuss details of what it shows.

People representing the boy’s family viewed the video on Monday, but police did not release it publicly because it is considered evidence and because they want to be sensitive to the family, the community and the officer, who is distraught, officials said.

The shooting has led to an investigation of the officer’s use of force. It also contributed to a state lawmaker’s plan to propose legislation requiring all BB guns, air rifles and airsoft guns sold in Ohio to be brightly coloured or have prominent fluorescent strips.

Once the investigation is complete, the case will be presented to a grand jury to decide whether any criminal charges should be brought, the Cuyahoga County prosecutor Timothy McGinty said.

The two officers involved in the shooting were put on administrative leave under standard procedure. Police have not publicly identified them.

At least 100 people gathered near a recreation centre at the playground on Monday night to show support for the boy’s family. Some demonstrators carried signs that read “Danger Police in Area” and “Police Terror: This Stops Today”. They chanted, “Justice for Tamir!”

“We will not accept any excuse why this young man was shot down unjustly,” said Art McKoy, a Cleveland community activist at the demonstration.

Candles and teddy bears were left on Monday at a gazebo near the playground. At a home less than a block away, a man identifying himself as Tamir’s uncle said the boy’s family was not commenting and referred reporters to an attorney.

The Associated Press left a message for the attorney, Timothy Kucharski, on Monday. He said previously that Tamir went to the park with friends on Saturday afternoon, but he did not know the details of what led to the shooting and wanted to get more facts and talk to witnesses himself.

The Cleveland case is similar to one last year in northern California.

In that case, prosecutors did not file criminal charges against a sheriff’s deputy who shot and killed a 13-year-old boy carrying a pellet gun the officer mistook for an assault rifle. The Santa Rosa boy’s parents were outraged by the decision.

In Cleveland, Mayor Frank Jackson said investigators and other officials are trying to be as transparent as possible to ensure the public can trust the outcome.

Asked at a news conference to comment about the shooting with the context of the then pending grand jury decision about the police shooting in Ferguson, Missouri, Jackson replied: “Whether there was Ferguson down there or not doesn’t matter to me. What matters to me is that it happened in Cleveland, and it happened to a child.”

Cleveland’s website was hacked amid the investigation. The city could not confirm who shut down the site and did not receive direct information about that, but officials were aware of a YouTube video purporting to be from the hacker collective Anonymous that references website shutdowns and the shooting, the city spokesman, Daniel Ball, said. He said extra security measures are being added before the website is restored.

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