Calif. police shoot, kill 13-year-old with fake rifle

**GoOKC1991** · 10-23-2013, 03:28 PM

Calif. police shoot, kill 13-year-old with fake rifle - CBS News

Were the police right or wrong? To me, if the Cops thought it looked real, you can't blame them.

**Martin** · 10-23-2013, 03:38 PM

i'm not sure what's worse... that california police are being issued fake rifles or that fake rifles are dangerous enough to kill someone. -M

**Mississippi Blues** · 10-23-2013, 03:43 PM

Given that they told him to put it on the ground & didn't realize it was a fake till shots had been fired & the boy was deceased, I don't really think you can say they were in the wrong or that I blame them. It was just a bad situation once the boy didn't put it on the ground as asked.

**Just the facts** · 10-23-2013, 03:44 PM

A sad situation indeed and I am sure there is a lot more to the story. I wonder if the 13 year old could understand the words the police officers were saying or if he was playing 'cops and robbers' with real cops.

**OKCisOK4me** · 10-23-2013, 04:47 PM

Die Hard premonition?

" I shot a kid. He was 13 years old. Oh, it was dark, I couldn't see him, he had a ray gun, looked real enough. You know when you're a rookie they can teach you everything about being a cop, except how to live with a mistake. Anyway, I just couldn't bring myself to draw my gun on anyone again. "

**kelroy55** · 10-23-2013, 05:37 PM

"Deputies then discovered that the gun the man had been carrying was a replica, and he also had a plastic gun in his waistband"

I think toy guns come with an orange tip to identify them as a toy but most kids take it off or paint it black. The picture looks like it wasn't there. Might have been a split second decision and I can't blame the police.