Lawyers will hash this thing for years. First thing I said was "hope it was not a kid with an airsoft". Even if it had been wooden, the nitwit should have dropped it. Suicide by cop. Sucks for every person impacted, especially the officer that had to fire the shot.
Clearly it was the kids fault.
RE: boys and their love affair with guns, my 3 boys would pick up sticks and pretend to shoot each other. I actually was rather careful about what they watched, but there seems to be a gene for attraction to guns in boys. We never let them have bb guns because that seemed pointless. They all got 22s when they were old enough. And they all learned to shoot. But we didn't want guns to be toys in any way. I'm sure alot of people think that's goofy, but it seemed reasonable.
susie