San Diego police fatally shot a 15-year-old boy early Saturday morning and claimed they fired their weapons after the teen pointed at them what they later discovered was a BB gun.
Police arrived at the parking lot of the Torrey Pines High School in northern San Diego after 911 dispatch received a call shortly before 3:30 a.m. asking officers to check on a 15-year-old outside the high school who the caller said was unarmed.
Authorities later said they believe the victim placed the call and was talking about himself in the third person.
Police dispatch audio described a 15-year-old “white male, medium, unknown height” standing on the curb.
When the officers got out of the patrol car to approach the boy, he pulled what they believed was a handgun from his waistband and pointed it at the officers, San Diego police said in a statement. The boy then walked toward officers with the object and pointed it at them, refusing multiple commands to drop it, police claimed.
Police said the two officers “feared for their safety” and shot the boy, striking him “multiple times.” The boy was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Both officers were reportedly wearing body cameras during the incident, according to KGTV News 10 but the SDPD has not yet commented on if the footage will be publicly released.
The officers involved were only identified by the department as a 28-year veteran and a four-year veteran of the force.
The boy’s name has not been released because of his age, but Stephen Dill, superintendent of the San Dieguito Union High School District, identified him as a student at Torrey Pines.
“Our hearts go out to the student, his family, and his friends,” Dill said in a Saturday statement. He said a crisis response team would be on campus Monday for students, parents and staff.
One Response
Can u imagine…. How on earth should they firer the teen boy multiple times… That’s unfair joor. At least they should have just fired him on his leg to scare him. Their defence mechanism is unfair. They killed the poor boy…. #Sadstory #Poorteen #RIP