Posted on 10/26/2013 2:45:40 AM PDT by Hetty_Fauxvert
The FBI is launching its own investigation into the shooting this week of Andy Lopez, the 13-year-old Santa Rosa boy killed by a Sonoma County sheriff’s deputy who mistook the BB gun Lopez was holding for an assault rifle.
FBI officials notified command staff for Sheriff Steve Freitas and Santa Rosa Police Chief Tom Schwedhelm of the move Friday.
The federal inquiry is separate from the investigation led by Santa Rosa police into the deputy-involved shooting.
A spokesman in the FBI’s San Francisco office called the agency’s inquiry a “shooting review,” looking into the “incident itself (and) the deputies’ response.”
“We’re going to look into the facts of that,” said Peter Lee, a public affairs specialist with the bureau. “It’s a civil rights-type of case.”
Both Schwedhelm and Freitas said they welcomed the additional inquiry. Both said they did not know exactly what the agency would be examining.
“I’m sure in the coming weeks they’ll be in contact with us for information and we’ll cooperate fully with them,” Schwedhelm said.
The federal intervention is rare. The last time the FBI investigated a local officer-involved shooting was in the 1997 death of Kuan Chung Kao, a Taiwanese national killed by a Rohnert Park officer. The shooting enraged Chinese cultural groups, but the FBI investigation and separate state and local inquiries found insufficient evidence to file criminal charges.
Lopez’s death has stirred perhaps even stronger community emotions.
He is the youngest person to die in an officer-involved shooting in Sonoma County, according to Press Democrat records stretching back to 1969.
Schwedhelm said the FBI, to his knowledge, had not played any role in the investigation led by his department into the Tuesday afternoon shooting.
(Excerpt) Read more at pressdemocrat.com ...
13-Year-Old With Pellet Gun Shot 7 Times by Police
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/marchers-protest-calif-deputys-shooting-boy-20668711
“A Sonoma County sheriff’s deputy twice told the boy to drop the weapon, but he instead raised it in the deputy’s direction, police said at a news conference Wednesday.
Police said two deputies were riding in a marked patrol vehicle and were in uniforms when they spotted Andy in a hooded sweatshirt and shorts at 3:14 p.m. Tuesday. His back was turned toward the deputies, and they did not realize he was a boy.
One of the deputies saw what appeared to be an assault rifle similar to an AK-47 in the teen’s left hand. The deputies pulled over and took cover behind one of the vehicle’s doors, according to police.
A witness reported seeing the patrol car’s overhead emergency lights turn on and hearing the chirp of a siren, police said.
One of the deputies twice ordered Andy to drop the weapon, according to a witness, police said.
The teen was about 20 or 30 feet away from the deputies with his back toward them when he began turning around with what one deputy described as the barrel of the rifle rising up and turning in his direction, police said.
One deputy then fired several rounds, striking the boy at least once, Henry said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators said they believe eight rounds were fired. The timeline released by Santa Rosa police says those shots were fired within 10 seconds of the deputies’ first report of a suspicious person.
At Wednesday’s news conference, Santa Rosa police displayed the pellet gun alongside a real AK-47. The two appeared strikingly similar.”
Mixed reviews on this one. On one hand, I want perceivably stupid shootings from local Police to be investigated by something other than ‘internal reviews’ and held responsible — even if an accident or mistake. Then on the other hand I don’t want the FBI leaning on local law enforcement. It just becomes another political tool in the Federal Arsenal of harassment.
One of the pictures some other site had up of the police holding up the plastic weapon and comparing to a real AK knock off, it looked pretty real to me. Aren’t those Airsofts supposed to have that Orange tip?
That said, if the boy indeed did get one or more shots in the back, there is something definitely not kosher here.
Why wouldn’t or couldn’t he have more then one shots in the back if he was shot in the act of turning towards them.
I didnt see it mentioned in this article that the incident took place in a neighborhood known for it’s high gang activity. I should wish the next protests to be against gang members attempt (and near sucess) of recruiting every Latino kid in the neighborhood.
Sorry, I’m gonna hafta side with the police on this one if the story is straight. Real-looking Airsoft AK, mebbe a tall teenager inna hoody, not dropping the “weapon”. Looks like he had removed the “Airsoft Indicator”. Makes it seem intentional that he wanted to scare people. Or mebbe he just knocked it off out playing with it. Who knows. The headlines seem inflammatory. d:^)
CC
10 seconds??? they are in trouble.
While the FBI are out there they should investigate the assassination of James Dimaggio in Idaho -- oh that's right --- they were the ones who assassinated him. Never mind.
“...Santa Rosa police says those shots were fired within 10 seconds of the deputies’ first report of a suspicious person.”
Get out of police car.....shout
DROP THE GUN.....I SAID DROP THE GUN...LAST TIME..DROP THE GUN
seconds
BANG, BANG etc
makes me suspicious. Hope the time line is misreported.
Obviously a professional /S
They also have declined to release dispatch tapes of the incident.
Can't wait for the civil suit to force the dash cam video to be released...
Not having to walk in these cops shoes, I will restrain from calling a bunch of jackbooted trigger happy ass clowns...I do find it hard to believe in all of 10 seconds they went from judge, jury to executioner...
At one time killing the "perp" was the LAST resort to an incident
About 40 years ago I had a Daisy BB gun that looked very much like a late 19th century Winchester lever-action carbine.
I would shoot beer bottles in the parking lot off Route 66 behind my house, empties from a tavern, and got to be a pretty good shot.
I suppose if things were the way then as they are now, I might have been shot to death for possessing a BB gun in public.
Whatever you do in the 21st century, don’t frighten a cop! Automatic death penalty for you, your kid or your dog.
You jackboot apologists can KMA.
I read there were at least 7 shots, implying they were fired even before he could get turned around fully.
I wasn’t there so I don’t know just how threatening and dangerous this situation looked or was - it just seems awfully suspicious from what I’ve read so far.
It just brings to mind the situation a while back where a blue SUV was riddled with bullets, the ‘officers’ thinking it was the white truck that crazy LA cop had and was using to get away after killing some cop family member. There were a couple of women in that SUV and it in NO way fit the want description.
The 10 seconds thing is at first suspicious, without a doubt. But consider this scenario.
Cops (trainer and trainee) pull up to see this person with what looks to be a weapon facing away from them. Trainer sez he better handle this (reasonably logical?), he gets out and calls to the individual who apparently does not respond (ignoring or earbuds?). Pause for response. Trainer tells trainee he better call it in. Trainer pulls his weapon and yells again at the person louder, who is startled and turns around quickly with what appears to be an upraised AK. Pop.
Five things-
1) While I'm not saying this was the case, it very well could have been. Who says the call necessarily came at the very beginning of the encounter?
2) It can be said that he was shot for exercising his constitutional right to carry(I've seen this already in another thread), and I would never argue that we don't have that right, but the rest of "we" also have a right to self defense. This right includes cops. Use a weapon in a threatening fashion t'wards me or mine and I as a CCW holder will exercise my right as well. Far as I'm concerned, if we take what is reported so far as fact, I'm thinkin I'd have shot, too. Unfortunately, I doubt we'll ever have the raw facts now.
3)Environment and other parameters matter. A hypothetical 5' 100# 13yo with a BB gun in the country will most likely hardly raise an eyebrow. A 5'10" 150# 13yo in the 'hood and concealed by clothing with what appears to be an AK is a different story, IMO.
4)Yes, he was shot in the back twice, but he was hit several times. Who knows what kindof gyrations this person was doing once the shooting started? If the back shots were the first two then yes, that doesn't look good. But how can we really tell?
5)Don't bring a toy to a gunfight. Living in reality comes with a price. Stupidity and ignorance are very expensive sometimes. Parents should know that. A 13yo in that environment should have an idea, at least.
I'm not saying that it's right. Just saying that there's a lot of possibilities and we as humans love to over-simplify things. Especially if it gives us a chance to raise hell about our favorite BS du jour. These cops did a somewhat questionable killing. Scroll up or down in the headlines to find that some cops have been killed recently as well. Hammer'em on the blatant abuse. Cut'em slack when it's unclear. Not all of these individuals are against "us". That's all.
If the lad wasn’t black, why would “the fbi,” an element of the “just-us” department, care?
Well sh!t. Let’s just give them M-4s and a SAW then.
Go back and reread what you wrote.
I took my advice to you and went back and reread what you wrote. I misinterpreted it and apologize for my ensuing comment.
Actually, I agree with you. In fact, I’d be much happier if LEOs were only allowed to carry revolvers like they used to. They carry too much firepower on the hip and it’s took easy to pop off a 15-20 round magazine without knowing the whole situation. They can keep those shooters in the trunk for use if they need them.
Regardless, my bad.
A neighbor who was an eye witness said they shot him several times after he was already on the ground.
http://www.ibtimes.com/andy-lopez-shooting-police-fired-teen-after-he-was-ground-says-witness-1441020
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