Police in New York shoot and kill 13-year-old holding a pellet gun, authorities say

gedaliyah@lemmy.worldmod to News@lemmy.world – 342 points –
Police in New York shoot and kill 13-year-old holding a pellet gun, authorities say
pbs.org

An officer in upstate New York shot and killed a teen fleeing while pointing a replica gun, police said Saturday.

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One of them fled and pointed what appeared to be a handgun at the officers, according to a statement by the Utica Police Department.

If the footage confirms this, it makes sense that the officer shot him. Don't point guns or gun replicas at people.

But they were fleeing and pointed a gun at him? Either the reporting is shitty or it did not happen like the police say it happened.

You can run and point a gun backwards/shoot in their general direction.

And unless you're some sort of trick shot marksman, you won't be any danger to the cops.

I mean shooting randomly is always dangerous to someone. People get hit by stray bullets literally every day in america.

Dumb luck happens, plus could hit an innocent bystander. It's honestly a shit situation all around.

This isn’t entirely accurate.

First, just because they’re only slightly less accurate than most cops… doesn’t mean they’re not able to get lucky.

Secondly, I’m reminded of an incident I saw security recordings of, from a guy running across a light rail platform (warehouse district in Minneapolis,) dude was spraying behind him. While running.

Missed all of the people he was aiming at, killed 4 people all the same.

ACAB, so I’m not saying the cops didn’t fuck up. (Or even plant the damn pellet gun…) but yeah. There’s a reason that’s the narrative.