It's hard to know what to say. I can't imagine being in the officer's shoes either.

I just hope the kid wasnt pulling the gun out to say..."Hey look its not real"

 

Very sad situation altogether. The cop will likely never get over this either.

Why don't they just outlaw the sales of toy guns we buy a kid a toy gun say here go play with it (guns are not toys) so they go around pointing it and shooting everyone. So by chance they find a real gun what do they do the samething as a toy gun. Would really like to see one of the big toy companies step up and say we no longer are going to make toy guns.

Just IMO

I just hope the kid wasnt pulling the gun out to say..."Hey look its not real"

 

Very sad situation altogether. The cop will likely never get over this either.

 

My guess is that is exactly what he was doing. Unfortunately, the officers have no way of knowing. Sad situation. They should just make all airsoft/bb/toy guns bright orange.

First year officer.

Cleveland police say they still have not taken a formal statement from the officer who fired the shots. That seems odd.

So when are people going to start filing lawsuits against these company's that make BB/air soft guns like this? Not all come wit orange tips either, just take a look at wal-mart.. Also, in some cities gang members are painting the tips of real guns orange. No win situation for Law Enforcement

So when are people going to start filing lawsuits against these company's that make BB/air soft guns like this? Not all come wit orange tips either, just take a look at wal-mart.. Also, in some cities gang members are painting the tips of real guns orange. No win situation for Law Enforcement

 

I had read something about that several months ago

There are a lot of comments I am reading on articles about this event. Lots of bickering back and forth...the cops were told it might be a fake gun...no the dispatcher never told the responding cops that, etc.

 

Here is my question. Should a dispatcher tell a responding officer that there is a good probability that the gun is fake, if they have been told that by a "reliable source"? I say no. For one, you never know. And secondly...what if the officer goes in with the mentality it's a fake gun...and it isn't?

This is a no-win situation. I hate the whole shoot first, ask questions later thing. Cops have years worth of training and practice with their handguns and technique with a dangerous person. Just because the kid reached in his waist band does not mean he should be immediately shot and the officers be excused. If the kid pulls it out and then you feel like he's going to do something with it, then you should be able to fire. Was he pulling it out to show them it was fake? We'll never know. How hard is it to take down a 12 year old when you are professionally trained to shoot your firearm.

This is a no-win situation. I hate the whole shoot first, ask questions later thing. Cops have years worth of training and practice with their handguns and technique with a dangerous person. Just because the kid reached in his waist band does not mean he should be immediately shot and the officers be excused. If the kid pulls it out and then you feel like he's going to do something with it, then you should be able to fire. Was he pulling it out to show them it was fake? We'll never know. How hard is it to take down a 12 year old when you are professionally trained to shoot your firearm.

I'm not following what your asking?

Are you meaning, how hard is it to disarm a 12 year old with a gun without shooting them?

So when are people going to start filing lawsuits against these company's that make BB/air soft guns like this? Not all come wit orange tips either, just take a look at wal-mart.. Also, in some cities gang members are painting the tips of real guns orange. No win situation for Law Enforcement

 

 

If you are in a gang and you are holding a gun, orange tip or not you are going down. That would be my way of handling it if I was an officer.

This is a no-win situation. I hate the whole shoot first, ask questions later thing. Cops have years worth of training and practice with their handguns and technique with a dangerous person. Just because the kid reached in his waist band does not mean he should be immediately shot and the officers be excused. If the kid pulls it out and then you feel like he's going to do something with it, then you should be able to fire.

At what point in pulling the gun out of his waist band and raising it would you say it was OK to shoot? Don't think of a 12 year old think of a 25 year old, when he is told to put his hands up and instead he draws a gun from his waist band how long would you stand and look at him before deciding to shoot?

 

As soon as it came out of the waist band your life is in imminent danger, unfortunately police aren't mind readers.

This is a no-win situation. I hate the whole shoot first, ask questions later thing. Cops have years worth of training and practice with their handguns and technique with a dangerous person. Just because the kid reached in his waist band does not mean he should be immediately shot and the officers be excused. If the kid pulls it out and then you feel like he's going to do something with it, then you should be able to fire. Was he pulling it out to show them it was fake? We'll never know. How hard is it to take down a 12 year old when you are professionally trained to shoot your firearm.

 

Maybe he should have shot him in the hand to disarm him? Anyone pulling a gun out of their waist band when told to put their hands up, unfortunately, is going to get shot.

Anyone pulling a gun out of their waist band when told to put their hands up' date=' unfortunately, is going to get shot.[/quote'] Agreed! When your life may be in danger, after an adversary is told to do something and they reach for something that looks like a weapon, your only goal is survival.

 

You do not shoot at the hand, your nerves and adrenalin are going wild and you shoot at the largest target, the body.