Who said it was their first line of action? If the kid pointed a fake gun at a policeman, he's either suicidal or stupid (probably both) and the officer(s) had every right to use lethal force.
If only the police (and all government employees) had to obey the same rules that they enforce upon us. Then it wouldn't be a police state.
Yeah I'm curious what would happen to a normal citizen fired upon a 13 year old for carrying a toy gun? I would guess this would happen in Arizona, since they can carry weapons on the street.
I don't. But it wasn't reported that he did. And so one must assume, at this point, that he didn't. If it later comes out that that's what occurred, it changes the situation a little - but not a lot. I think it's highly unlikely that a child could hit an officer who is using his squad car as a shield - so in this case the child should be the first shooter, not the officers.
Squad car is no shield. They proved it on myhtbusters once. Bullets go right through a car like butter. Not the engine block though.
The kid must have pointed the gun at a cop or at someone else. There's no other justifiable reason for a cop to shoot a kid. I give them the benefit of the doubt that the cop felt his or someone else's life was in immediate danger, and that he acted properly. If he didn't, he should be hung from the highest tree. Until someone convinced me that the kid didn't point it at someone, then IMHO the fault lies with the kid.
Just apply the civilian test. If a non-policeman saw a kid with a toy gun, would a court say he was justified in yelling a couple of warnings, then filling the kid with lead? Why do courts treat police as the top of the class system, above the rules of civilized society?
Technically, I don't think this was a toy gun. I think it was an airsoft gun (although it wasn't mentioned), and airsoft guns are for 18+.
I own a lot of Airsoft guns. They are exact replicas of the real thing. Most people, like myself, will use paint thinner to wash off the bright orange paint that covers the end of the barrel. If he did that; then that gun would look like a real one.
I was looking at the picture, and it definitely looks like an airsoft gun. Removable magazine, no orange tip, accurate dimensions.... It actually looks like it might be missing the flash hider.
Oh yeah that's an Airsoft gun. I don't blame the cops for thinking its real. I actually have that same model.
Who tasked them to kill kids with toys? I must have missed the vote. Now you guys are saying it looks real. The test of a police state is, would that excuse hold water in court for a civilian who plugged him with 7 bullets?
The 13 year old kid shouldn't have even had it. The article said that it belonged to a friend, so that friend and his parents are liable for this child having access to the replicas.
I don't think I could be a police officer for a living. Just one bad day in the office and you may not be going home. I got to figure at some point in that situation it comes down to an officer really thinking he could die . . . and when you are in that frame of mind, I can imagine the mind is racing and the muscles are twitching. If I am ever in that situation I tell the officers it not a real gun, I am going to drop it real slow walk away from gun and get on knees with my hands behind my head. I know police have protocols and increasing levels of force they are allowed to use in certain circumstances, I just hope they are cool enough under pressure to stick with their training instead of going purely on instinct . . . because instinct says I want to sleep in my bed tonight.
It's pre-meditated murder no matter who did it. No threat was made, no attempt was made even to determine whether the child had a weapon or the more likely case he was playing with toys. But nobody but a cop would be that trigger-happy.
