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Reports: Officer's shooting of boy with pellet gun justified
AP ^ | October 10th, 2015 | MITCH STACY

Posted on 10/10/2015 10:56:02 PM PDT by Mariner

OLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- A white Cleveland police officer was justified in fatally shooting a black 12-year-old boy holding a pellet gun moments after pulling up beside him, according to two outside reviews conducted at the request of the prosecutor investigating the death.

A retired FBI agent and a Denver prosecutor both found the rookie patrolman who shot Tamir Rice exercised a reasonable use of force because he had reason to perceive the boy - described in a 911 call as man waving and pointing a gun - as a serious threat.

The reports were released Saturday night by the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office, which asked for the outside reviews as it presents evidence to a grand jury that will determine whether Timothy Loehmann will be charged in Tamir's death last November.

"We are not reaching any conclusions from these reports," Prosecutor Timothy J. McGinty said in a statement. "The gathering of evidence continues, and the grand jury will evaluate it all."

(Excerpt) Read more at hosted.ap.org ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; News/Current Events
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To: zek157

If you just consider statistics, you’re correct. But taxi drivers and fishermen aren’t called, by citizens, to ghetto neighborhood gathering spots to confront a person with a gun who has reportedly been harassing others.


61 posted on 10/11/2015 7:21:42 AM PDT by Trailerpark Badass (There should be a whole lot more going on than throwing bleach, said one woman.)
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To: Mariner

I remember reading back in 1968, just after the murder of Bobby Kennedy, some women in a store just about had a melt down when another woman had a toddler in a cart playing with a toy gun.

That year is when gun owners really started going through hell from the news media.


62 posted on 10/11/2015 7:24:54 AM PDT by Ruy Dias de Bivar
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To: Eagles6

***Orange markings identifying it as a toy removed to make it look real***

And to think, the BRADY BUNCH are the ones who insisted orange markings be put on them.


63 posted on 10/11/2015 7:26:19 AM PDT by Ruy Dias de Bivar
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To: Trailerpark Badass
As I said, it does appear that the cops shoot very quickly. But, again, i'd consider this a training issue, certainly nothing criminal about it.

The time from when the police car stops and when the boy is dead on the ground is about 2 seconds. There was no time to warn the boy. There was no attempt to deal with the situation peacefully. The car rolled up and the officer shot and killed a 12 year old. That calls for more than just additional training.

64 posted on 10/11/2015 7:34:57 AM PDT by DoodleDawg
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To: DoodleDawg
We don't know what was said, and the video isn't very clear. From what I've seen, some folks see an encounter with the police as an opportunity to act belligerent and defiantly. I think the odds that the kid acted in a way that looked anything other than threatening are near zero.

Tactically, the cops got too close to him upon initial contact, which limited their options, but they likely did not know exactly where he was.

Again, when people are going to act in a way that forces human beings to make split-second decisions that may prove fatal, they bear some of the responsibility when the choice ends up "wrong."

If Tamir had been home doing his homework, rather than playing Junior Street Thug, he might not be so dead right now.

65 posted on 10/11/2015 7:55:03 AM PDT by Trailerpark Badass (There should be a whole lot more going on than throwing bleach, said one woman.)
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To: Trailerpark Badass

But it kind of comes back to do you shoot to kill someone with a pumping a pellet pistol when you have a 15 shot 40 caliber and are wearing a bullet proof vest?

I’ve seen someone shot with a Benjamen 22 pumped a bunch and while it penetrated about a half inch the chance of a lethal hit is minuscule except for squirrels or starlings

And the Benjamen is much better

(Yes I know today has air rifles that shoot 2700 fps)

I have an old first edition Crossman pistol I bought at auction

1966 Mark II


66 posted on 10/11/2015 8:40:14 AM PDT by wardaddy (The establishment needs destroying)
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To: sharpee
I saw the video also. Cannot figure out why they drove right up to the kid. The responding officer was too close to make any other decision except to shoot.

Yep.... they drove right up to the kid, jumped out of the car, and gunned him down. All in about 5 seconds...

67 posted on 10/11/2015 9:52:43 AM PDT by kjam22 (my music video "If My People" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74b20RjILy4)
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To: wardaddy
I don't know, when the person's gun looks like this:

Oh wait, sorry, it looked like this:


68 posted on 10/11/2015 9:54:22 AM PDT by Trailerpark Badass (There should be a whole lot more going on than throwing bleach, said one woman.)
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To: Trailerpark Badass

Sorry, thought I resized that


69 posted on 10/11/2015 10:05:43 AM PDT by Trailerpark Badass (There should be a whole lot more going on than throwing bleach, said one woman.)
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To: ETL
I would have shot him if I thought he was even thinking about pointing that "toy" gun at me.

It looks like a real .45.

The kid died from a chronic case of stupid.

70 posted on 10/11/2015 10:28:46 AM PDT by Mariner (War Criminal #18 - Be The Leaderless Resistance)
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To: Trailerpark Badass
I think the odds that the kid acted in a way that looked anything other than threatening are near zero.

And how do you determine that in the one second or so between the time the car door opened and the time the kid was on the ground?

Tactically, the cops got too close to him upon initial contact, which limited their options, but they likely did not know exactly where he was.

They didn't take time to consider other options. Drive up, open door and Boom, dead kid. Remember, in about the time it takes to read this sentence the cop was out of the car and shooting. You tell me how it's possible to assess the situation and try and find a non-fatal solution?

Again, when people are going to act in a way that forces human beings to make split-second decisions that may prove fatal, they bear some of the responsibility when the choice ends up "wrong."

Apparently not in Cleveland.

71 posted on 10/11/2015 10:32:45 AM PDT by DoodleDawg
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To: DoodleDawg
They aleady had a 911 call of a person threatening people with a gun, so they were already through a large part of the "assessment" process.

Confronted with a 5'7" 195lb "kid" moving his hands around his waistband and the visible grip of a realistic looking pistol, their reaction is reasonable to me. Nothing you've emoted has meant anything.

72 posted on 10/11/2015 10:50:16 AM PDT by Trailerpark Badass (There should be a whole lot more going on than throwing bleach, said one woman.)
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To: Trailerpark Badass
Confronted with a 5'7" 195lb "kid" moving his hands around his waistband and the visible grip of a realistic looking pistol, their reaction is reasonable to me.

Shouldn't the use of deadly force require something like, I don't know, a threat of death or injury to the officer or a bystander? There were no bystanders. There was no threat to the officer. Just drive up and shoot. So I guess the real question in all this is under what circumstances is the use of deadly force not justified?

73 posted on 10/11/2015 10:57:21 AM PDT by DoodleDawg
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To: DoodleDawg

Your assertion that there was no possible discernible threat to the safety of the officers is 100% straight-up BS.


74 posted on 10/11/2015 11:03:26 AM PDT by Trailerpark Badass (There should be a whole lot more going on than throwing bleach, said one woman.)
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To: Trailerpark Badass
Your assertion that there was no possible discernible threat to the safety of the officers is 100% straight-up BS.

As is the claim that there was a credible threat to the health and safety that could be discerned in the second or two before the officer fired.

75 posted on 10/11/2015 11:09:27 AM PDT by DoodleDawg
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To: DoodleDawg
I've produced photographic evidence saying otherwise, but if that's your opinion, ok.

I don't know any sane human alive, including seriously hardened combat vets, who would choose to be a cop, especially in Li'l Tamir's neighborhood, under your standards.

And I'm OK with that. But the choice is between civilization and chaos. I've made my vote.

76 posted on 10/11/2015 11:17:01 AM PDT by Trailerpark Badass (There should be a whole lot more going on than throwing bleach, said one woman.)
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To: Trailerpark Badass
Lol, "pardon me, li'l fella, you mind taking that realistic-looking heater out of your pants and showin it to me reeeaaall good? Let me see the muzzle, and i can easily differentiate between 6mm, 9mm, and 12.7mm apertures. What? It's a toy you say? Well, of course it is son! No doubt you and your li'l pals were engaging in target shooting contests of discipline and skill. And if there was just a bit of Bowery Boys-type scampery mixed in, well, that's just between us gentlemen. Here, have a penny candy!"

Give me a break.

77 posted on 10/11/2015 11:28:34 AM PDT by Trailerpark Badass (There should be a whole lot more going on than throwing bleach, said one woman.)
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To: Mariner

Yea I saw video when this story first broke of the kid (larger than I am) pulling the pistol and pointing at people walking past. If anyone ever does that to you, trust me, you would be happy to see them get wasted.


78 posted on 10/11/2015 11:34:40 AM PDT by The Toll
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To: bert

Yes. A pellet rifle like the one the guy had that was shot in the Walmart is definitely not a toy. It can reach velocities of a .22 LR and is deadly as heck.


79 posted on 10/11/2015 12:37:17 PM PDT by Eagles6 ( Valley Forge Redux. If not now, when? If not here, where? If not us then who?)
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To: Ruy Dias de Bivar
Yes. Many urban yutes do this because they want to intimidate people, whether to rob them or whatever.

No way to tell whether it's not an actual firearm except by close inspection.

Is it a .177 pellet gun or a .17?

A .22 pellet gun or a .22 LR, .22 Mag or a 5.7 like hassan used at Ft Hood?

That said, today's pellet guns can reach the velocity of a.22 LR and can cause death or serious injury.

80 posted on 10/11/2015 12:54:34 PM PDT by Eagles6 ( Valley Forge Redux. If not now, when? If not here, where? If not us then who?)
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