aGameOfThrones
10-25-2013, 08:06 AM
SANTA ROSA, California (Reuters) - No more than 10 seconds elapsed from the time sheriff's deputies spotted a 13-year-old California boy carrying what they thought was an assault rifle and the moment they shot him dead, only to learn afterward the gun was a plastic replica, police said on Thursday.
It took 16 seconds more for the two officers to call for medical assistance, according to the time line of events released by police investigating Tuesday's shooting in Santa Rosa, a suburb in northern California's wine country.
Andy Lopez Cruz, wearing a hooded sweatshirt, had been on his way to a friend's house clutching the imitation gun designed to shoot plastic pellets, police said. He died at the scene. A toy handgun also was found tucked in his pants.
An autopsy performed on Thursday found seven bullets struck the boy, and that two of the wounds were fatal. Investigators believe a total of eight rounds were fired by one of the two deputies who confronted the youth.
The officers involved in the shooting, two deputies of the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department, have been placed on administrative leave, and the incident was under investigation by the Santa Rosa Police Department and other law enforcement agencies.
http://news.yahoo.com/california-cops-mistaken-fatal-shooting-boy-unfolded-seconds-053109259.html
A few Comments from this article:
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/marchers-protest-calif-deputys-shooting-boy-20668711
DJS
• a day ago
It's tragic, but children are killing people every week in the country. IF the cops told him to drop the weapon and he did not before turning toward the police AND had the gun in his hands, then sadly, I cannot say the cops were in the wrong. They make split decisions based on situations dealt to them. Nobody is 100% right 100% of the time.
Go find pictures of the police holding a real Ak-47 next to what this kid was carrying...the resemblance is pretty damn alarming.
Imagine what would have been said/done if they assumed it was fake, kept driving and god forbid it wasn't and this kid used it to kill multiple people...damned if they do, damned if they don't, but I will not judge until more facts are presented.
Show 1 new reply
56 4
•
HaroldCallahan DJS
• 19 hours ago
The weapon is ridiculously realistic and I can't blame the cops in this situation. But I also understand the kid's point of view. If someone from behind you shouts to drop your weapon, are you going to just obey? Or would you at least turn around first? How do you know it's a cop if you can't see behind you? I wouldn't necessarily obey a random voice behind my head unless I knew it was a cop. Just a sad situation all around.
13
•
Mike Raymond HaroldCallahan
• 18 hours ago
According to the story, they sounded their siren. I would also assume that they identified themselves as police.
Show 1 new reply
15 3
•
wryview Mike Raymond
• 3 hours ago
Why are you making that assumption?
9
•
umpirecr wryview
• 38 minutes ago
Just like everyone else making that assumption as well on there own views?
•
M Joiner HaroldCallahan
• 17 hours ago
If you hear someone telling you to drop your weapon and you are holding one and the people telling you to drop it used their siren most people would drop their weapon.
I do realize there are criminals out there who make themselves out to be police, but it doesn't happen very often.
What bothers me about this situation is the orange tip was intentionally blacked out and that tells me whoever did that wanted people to believe it was a real weapon.
Show 1 new reply
10 2
•
Jenna Joon M Joiner
• 4 hours ago
According to the story, the kid was turned away from the police officer. It makes perfect sense that, if the boy was walking down the street, looking in a different direction- and a police officer pulled up behind him and told him to drop his weapon-- he might instinctively turn, while still holding the toy, to find out what was going on. Listen to the description of what happened. It doesn't sound as if he pointed the weapon at the cop. He just started to turn around.
15
•
Omegacron M Joiner
• an hour ago
Pellet guns do not have orange tips. Airsoft guns have orange tips. Huge difference.
4
wryview M Joiner
• 3 hours ago
But he wasn't holding a weapon. He was holding a toy. So, why would you drop a toy, when you knew it wasn't a weapon?
Show 1 new reply
5 1
MT wryview
• 2 hours ago
−Perhaps he thought of it as a toy, but a pellet gun is a real weapon, and the officers made a reasonable assumption in this case that the individual they were approaching was carrying serious firepower. And, doing so rather brazenly. No telling what a person carrying an automatic rifle down the street in broad daylight will do.
Has anyone answered what exactly did the kid do that was illegal? Did he threaten someone with those toy guns? Can a person who is OCing walk down the street without being shot at by cops?
It took 16 seconds more for the two officers to call for medical assistance, according to the time line of events released by police investigating Tuesday's shooting in Santa Rosa, a suburb in northern California's wine country.
Andy Lopez Cruz, wearing a hooded sweatshirt, had been on his way to a friend's house clutching the imitation gun designed to shoot plastic pellets, police said. He died at the scene. A toy handgun also was found tucked in his pants.
An autopsy performed on Thursday found seven bullets struck the boy, and that two of the wounds were fatal. Investigators believe a total of eight rounds were fired by one of the two deputies who confronted the youth.
The officers involved in the shooting, two deputies of the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department, have been placed on administrative leave, and the incident was under investigation by the Santa Rosa Police Department and other law enforcement agencies.
http://news.yahoo.com/california-cops-mistaken-fatal-shooting-boy-unfolded-seconds-053109259.html
A few Comments from this article:
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/marchers-protest-calif-deputys-shooting-boy-20668711
DJS
• a day ago
It's tragic, but children are killing people every week in the country. IF the cops told him to drop the weapon and he did not before turning toward the police AND had the gun in his hands, then sadly, I cannot say the cops were in the wrong. They make split decisions based on situations dealt to them. Nobody is 100% right 100% of the time.
Go find pictures of the police holding a real Ak-47 next to what this kid was carrying...the resemblance is pretty damn alarming.
Imagine what would have been said/done if they assumed it was fake, kept driving and god forbid it wasn't and this kid used it to kill multiple people...damned if they do, damned if they don't, but I will not judge until more facts are presented.
Show 1 new reply
56 4
•
HaroldCallahan DJS
• 19 hours ago
The weapon is ridiculously realistic and I can't blame the cops in this situation. But I also understand the kid's point of view. If someone from behind you shouts to drop your weapon, are you going to just obey? Or would you at least turn around first? How do you know it's a cop if you can't see behind you? I wouldn't necessarily obey a random voice behind my head unless I knew it was a cop. Just a sad situation all around.
13
•
Mike Raymond HaroldCallahan
• 18 hours ago
According to the story, they sounded their siren. I would also assume that they identified themselves as police.
Show 1 new reply
15 3
•
wryview Mike Raymond
• 3 hours ago
Why are you making that assumption?
9
•
umpirecr wryview
• 38 minutes ago
Just like everyone else making that assumption as well on there own views?
•
M Joiner HaroldCallahan
• 17 hours ago
If you hear someone telling you to drop your weapon and you are holding one and the people telling you to drop it used their siren most people would drop their weapon.
I do realize there are criminals out there who make themselves out to be police, but it doesn't happen very often.
What bothers me about this situation is the orange tip was intentionally blacked out and that tells me whoever did that wanted people to believe it was a real weapon.
Show 1 new reply
10 2
•
Jenna Joon M Joiner
• 4 hours ago
According to the story, the kid was turned away from the police officer. It makes perfect sense that, if the boy was walking down the street, looking in a different direction- and a police officer pulled up behind him and told him to drop his weapon-- he might instinctively turn, while still holding the toy, to find out what was going on. Listen to the description of what happened. It doesn't sound as if he pointed the weapon at the cop. He just started to turn around.
15
•
Omegacron M Joiner
• an hour ago
Pellet guns do not have orange tips. Airsoft guns have orange tips. Huge difference.
4
wryview M Joiner
• 3 hours ago
But he wasn't holding a weapon. He was holding a toy. So, why would you drop a toy, when you knew it wasn't a weapon?
Show 1 new reply
5 1
MT wryview
• 2 hours ago
−Perhaps he thought of it as a toy, but a pellet gun is a real weapon, and the officers made a reasonable assumption in this case that the individual they were approaching was carrying serious firepower. And, doing so rather brazenly. No telling what a person carrying an automatic rifle down the street in broad daylight will do.
Has anyone answered what exactly did the kid do that was illegal? Did he threaten someone with those toy guns? Can a person who is OCing walk down the street without being shot at by cops?