Phoenix police shoot 16-year-old holding replica firearm

[Ranger_Robby]

She says it was just a BB gun and that he didnt even point it at the officer.  :roll:

I dont know what happened, I wasnt there, but Im sure mama is taking her innocent little angle's side.

funny, i saw it on the news last night and witness accounts said the boy did infact point the gun at the cop... looks like another parent blaming their child's poor judgment and likely the upbringing on somebody else b/c they dont want to accept responsibility or accept their child was wrong... surprise surprise... We live in an age where it's always someone else's fault, how sad

[VanillaGuerrilla]

I read and heard multiple reports of the kid aggressively "lunging" at the police with the gun. Also, in the (only) picture being shown, the kids throwing gang signs or something. You gotta love the aura of ignorance the mom puts off.

[BoltActionRob]

I read and heard multiple reports of the kid aggressively "lunging" at the police with the gun. Also, in the (only) picture being shown, the kids throwing gang signs or something. You gotta love the aura of ignorance the mom puts off.

Well, it's to be expected. I've been defended a few times by my mother. (Of course the one time she did deal with cops I REALLY didn't do it.)
I was accused of breaking and entering into someones home and stealing An X-box, playstation, 72 DVDs/Games, and jewelry.
The cops showed up and I was messing around with two airsoft guns (Cleaning) when they showed up... Did NOT look good...
But luckily for me one of the cops airsofted and noticed the orange tips... *Phew*
I also took the day off... didn't look good either...
And they knew I had a substantial grudge against the victim... again, not good.
My mother was at work all day... starting to worry....
My brother was sleeping all day... Uh oh....
My mom just defended me and defended me...
I had to show them some myspace messages I had sent at the time of the break in... So I was cleared.
But when the cops left my mom turned to me and started screaming through tears yelling/asking me if she just lied to the cops, and if I really did do it.
I really hadn't done it. o_o

[Kog]

Hope this doesn't count as bumping a necropost...

Regardless of your stance on gun control, ownership, safety, etc if you point a weapon of ANY kind at an officer after his presence is announced you can't honestly not expect to be shot or disarmed. We all know Airsoft weapons are REPLICA which makes identifying a real weapon from an airsoft weapon nigh impossible; especially considering not all of them have the orange tip on them...you know the one that screams "I'M NOT GOING TO KILL YOU," be it removed by the owner or purchased that way.

The officer was most certainly not in the wrong for doing what he did; he was in a position that made him frightened for his life - he took the correct course of action, this asshole is lucky he isn't dead for the stupid shit he pulled.

/end rant

[PeyotZET]

The only problem I see in this whole thing is that the mother shouldn't be complaining about her son in the hospital with a hole in him, she should be complaining about her son in the morgue with 2 holes in him.  Cop must be out of practice.

I was definitely surprised when I read that the kid had only been shot once. His judgment saved the life of an idiot. This officer has my upmost respect, as the way he handled the situation is exemplary in my opinion.

[BoltActionRob]

Hope this doesn't count as bumping a necropost...

Regardless of your stance on gun control, ownership, safety, etc if you point a weapon of ANY kind at an officer after his presence is announced you can't honestly not expect to be shot or disarmed. We all know Airsoft weapons are REPLICA which makes identifying a real weapon from an airsoft weapon nigh impossible; especially considering not all of them have the orange tip on them...you know the one that screams "I'M NOT GOING TO KILL YOU," be it removed by the owner or purchased that way.

The officer was most certainly not in the wrong for doing what he did; he was in a position that made him frightened for his life - he took the correct course of action, this asshole is lucky he isn't dead for the stupid s*** he pulled.

/end rant

Exactly. There was a thread about this on /k/ awhile ago about this.
I was pissed off at all the liberal jerks making fun of the cop for not knowing the difference between a "Toy" and a real gun.
Dicks don't know anything about airsoft. Ignorance. Everywhere. Grrr...

[VanillaGuerrilla]

The question is how long before gang-bangers and criminals start painting their barrels orange? It may only fool police or decent citizens momentarily, but sometimes a moment is all that's needed.

[Kog]

The question is how long before gang-bangers and criminals start painting their barrels orange? It may only fool police or decent citizens momentarily, but sometimes a moment is all that's needed.

True, this is always an issue that a possibility as well...but any weapon, mock or otherwise, pointed at an officer makes grounds for getting shot, imo.

[Maestro]

The question is how long before gang-bangers and criminals start painting their barrels orange? It may only fool police or decent citizens momentarily, but sometimes a moment is all that's needed.

I don't think it will matter one little bit.  If the gangs ever did actually manage to be gay enough to paint their guns orange, they would still get shot by the cops, as proved by the incident this thread is about.

[Doc Hollywood]

Really a non-issue ....   point an orange tipped gun (or any gun for that matter) at me - outside of an organized airball game of course - and you will see exactly how much over FPS mine is shooting....

Any weapons trained individual isnt going to take the time to determine what the orange tip means and there is no legal duty to do so.

Its really as stupid as making us paint orange tips on sticks and stones ..... any representative weapon (replica, toy) is still just that - a weapon that it represents.

It wouldn't slow down my response at all.  

The question is how long before gang-bangers and criminals start painting their barrels orange? It may only fool police or decent citizens momentarily, but sometimes a moment is all that's needed.

[BoltActionRob]

I guess I'm the only one who also knows criminals sometimes paint their REAL guns orange.

[VanillaGuerrilla]

I guess I'm the only one who also knows criminals sometimes paint their REAL guns orange.

Huh? You're the ONLY ONE who ALSO knows? Are you pschytzophrenic? I know my posts are not always super insightful, but come on; at least do us the courtesy of making a point.

[VanillaGuerrilla]

Really a non-issue ....   point an orange tipped gun (or any gun for that matter) at me - outside of an organized airball game of course - and you will see exactly how much over FPS mine is shooting....

Any weapons trained individual isnt going to take the time to determine what the orange tip means and there is no legal duty to do so.

Its really as stupid as making us paint orange tips on sticks and stones ..... any representative weapon (replica, toy) is still just that - a weapon that it represents.

It wouldn't slow down my response at all.

Completely understood, good sir. Let me rephrase my previous statement. If a person pulls a real or replica firearm on an LEO (or citizen), and consequently gets shot, the LEO/shooter should not face repercussion for defending their/others live(s). If The police keep getting bad press (like in this incident) for shooting people with fake guns, and face consequence,(whether it be legally, mentally or professionally) I assume they will be hesitant to pull the trigger in future occurences, therefore creating momentary hesitation. Hesitation is almost never a good thing. Hopefully this specific LEO comes out of this clean regardless of how much it agitates the media/dems/mothers/etc. Like you said Doc, Rule of Law, not Rule of Majority.

[Doc Hollywood]

It was a good shoot.  Doesn't stop the criminal families from getting a shittbag lawyer and suing, but you will be happy to know that MOST of these cases get dismissed very quickly.

A lawsuit alone does not a millionaire make.  You still have to prove ALL of the elements of the legal theory.

Look at Old Man Texas who went outside and blew the guts out of those two burglars... no indictment.  It wasn't a crime.

[Polie]

that little fucker should be dead.  wtf was he thinking?