Sad reminder as why we keep airsoft guns off minors and public view...

[waylander]

Seriously? You were never a kid? Never made any mistakes? Never did anything stupid in your life? Ya, what the kid did was stupid and in this case he paid for it with his life. I think that's enough right? The rest of the world doesn't need to pile on and mock him.

Yes I have kids and yes I've spoken to them about this issue. Should his parents have done the same? Ya, probably... but if what his mother said is true and they don't have any toy guns that she knows of then it probably didn't occur to her.

This is a tragic event, we don't need to go around calling him a thug, I think he's paid enough for his "crime".

[kalnaren]

Originally Posted by Drake

Sorry but that's extremely stupid behavior.

Yea I've never heard of a 12 year old doing something stupid because they're, you know, 12. Especially given the gun culture in the US. Makes a shit situation for the cops.

[Ricochet]

Cops don't change their policy for an orange tip or non black gun. If you can make a real firearm look it, then it will always be treated as a real gun. Life lessons for kids, always, always, always cooperate with authorities, period.

[kalnaren]

Vid was released. Looks pretty damning for the officer. Looks like it contradicts the "official line" given by the police.

[Matula]

That's also a difference when you have a gun culture and not. I remember when I was a kid in France, never, never a police officer came with a gun directly on the face of someone. Nobody had guns, so police officer knew kids were played with fake guns...

In 1998, when I started to play Airsoft, we were playing in old 2nd war fortification, completely open to civil and it wasn't private place. When police were there, they just asked to check our ID, if someone had less than 18, Police confiscated airsoft gun and asked parent's guy to come to the Police HQ to get back the gun. No charge assault / Crazy shoot.

Time changing everywhere, but we are still able to play on public place. That's something I never and I will never see here.

[Mist3r.B]

What happen to talking to each other... I don't want to blame the cop too much altough I still think doesn't have what it take to be a cop. But I feel the old guy who call 911 is the stupid one in this story. How about saying something like: Hey Kid, you seem to have a nice looking gun it is real? Then you have answer. Then when you know it's a fake you can tell him that this thing could have kill by playing with it in public.

The kid has been playing with is bb gun for 5 minutes in front of him. If he was to kill that old man, he would have done it before he even call the cops.

Peolple are so stupid know a day. Always relly on some form autority. What happen to take matters in your own hands. This guy is so pathetic he'd rather have a kid killed than talk to him.

[waylander]

Originally Posted by Mist3r.B

What happen to talking to each other... I don't want to blame the cop too much altough I still think doesn't have what it take to be a cop. But I feel the old guy who call 911 is the stupid one in this story. How about saying something like: Hey Kid, you seem to have a nice looking gun it is real? Then you have answer. Then when you know it's a fake you can tell him that this thing could have kill by playing with it in public.

The kid has been playing with is bb gun for 5 minutes in front of him. If he was to kill that old man, he would have done it before he even call the cops.

Peolple are so stupid know a day. Always relly on some form autority. What happen to take matters in your own hands. This guy is so pathetic he'd rather have a kid killed than talk to him.

Let's keep in mind this is the US, where everyone and their dog has a gun or two or three or fifty.... In Canada, ya it's pretty safe to assume it's a toy gun. In the US? In some cities it's not safe to assume that... actually it's almost guaranteed that it's real. Not saying Cleveland is one of those places but if I was a cop in a US city I wouldn't take any chances. Enough people who have taken matters in to their own hands have been killed for doing so, probably why a lot of people won't now.

Again guys.... in the end keep in mind that a 12 year old child is dead... dead... do you understand? This is someones son, nephew, grandchild, brother... there is no excuse for calling him names, he has already paid the price and is dead for it.

The cop is probably going through hell and back, he killed a child with a toy gun. Even if he's cleared and it's a good shooting he still has to live with the fact that he took the life of a 12 year old child. If he is a good man, and we have no reason to believe otherwise, he's going through enough anguish that we don't need to be second guessing his actions. I wasn't there. You weren't there. We can speculate all we want to.

This is sad and tragic but the best we can do is try to learn from it, not bash the people involved. What the hell happened to compassion?

[Mist3r.B]

Originally Posted by waylander

...
Again guys.... in the end keep in mind that a 12 year old child is dead... dead... do you understand? This is someones son, nephew, grandchild, brother... there is no excuse for calling him names, he has already paid the price and is dead for it.
...

This is sad and tragic but the best we can do is try to learn from it, not bash the people involved. What the hell happened to compassion?

I'm not blaming the kid but the man who call the cops instead of asking one simple question.

If he was that scarded why didn't he run away insted of calling cop while being at less than 50m of the kid.

I do fully understand what death is. I lost a sister to a drunk driver. I also got kid and one of my worst fear is that some old coot call the cops on her one day for no good reason because he is to afraid to ask simple question. Like:" What are you doing?"

Cops are about the worst entity do deal with kids. I know, I've been arrased enough by stupids person that thougth that dressing in Blue make them better that anyone else. They are only good at creating a confrontation climate where nobody is winner.

I'm not calling name when I'm stating fact that the guy who call the cop was to much of a coward to ask one freaking question to a kid. I definitly blame the man who call the cop because there was no indication that his life was theathen. Unless you consider all kids to bad person to start with.

[grantmac]

Old man did what he is supposed to do and was correct.

Cop did the same. Don't want to die? Don't threaten a cop with ANYTHING.

[waylander]

Sorry, not everything I wrote was directed at you but at some of the things said in this thread. It just seems that more people are more worried about the fact of who was to blame than the fact that this is a tragedy regardless of blame.

No one in this scenario did it all right. People make mistakes every day, just that this time there was a tragic accident because of it.

I don't know the police officer in question, neither do you. Making general comments about all cops because of a few situations you've been in is wrong. I've dealt with many cops, have 2 good friends who are cops and they are like anyone else. There are good ones and bad ones. They are stuck in a shitty job where they are rarely praised for what they do but are under scrutiny all the time with the media and a lot of others just waiting for them to make a mistake.

I have a good friend who's a social worker, she has had to in the past take kids away from homes that were considered dangerous and/or unhealthy for the child. She always goes with a police escort. Now those cops are specifically trained to deal with children because that's their main responsibility.

I'm just saying that I think with the media and everything else, it seems like we look at incidents like this and it's too easy to miss the human factor. There are camera's everywhere, social media makes it so easy to judge. I have never been in a situation like that and hope I never am. Until I am however, I will reserve judgement on anyones actions because I wasn't there. A camera can only show what happened, not why or what people are thinking.

[_Whiskey_]

Originally Posted by Desmodus

+1

If you consciously choose to carry a gun out in public like that, and not listen to the LEO's commands you'd better be ready for the consequences. No excuse for utter stupidity like that.

Agree lack of common sense got this idiot killed. Brandishing a weapon or replica like that in public is going to get law enforcement called and not listening to them once they are on scene is going to get you in shit or killed.