[Repealthe17thAmendment]

Yeah, this happens so fast. The cop knew the kid had a gun, did not see him drop it, and must have thought the shadow was a gun barrel. When the kid turned, the cop thinks he's turning to fire. At that moment, you have less than one second to make a decision.

Slow motion and high resolution don't reveal what was going on at the moment in the mind of the cop. I'd bet anything, the cop was sure that the gun was still in the kid's hand.

[DataDink]

To me, at 2:04 of the 1st video, it looks like he has his right hand in the front pocket of the hoodie. Turning with is hand there, and the cop knowing he had/has a gun, means that the officer has to make a split second decision. The kid could have had a gun in the pocket.

If the cop does not defend himself, he may not be going home at the end of his watch. If he does protect himself, he could kill an unarmed kid. It’s a tough choice. Total respect for the job.