OH Columbus LEO Fatally Shoots 13 y/o after armed robbery, teen w 'gun' 14 Sept 2016

[Linda7NJ]

"Demetrius Braxton, 19, who fled on foot with King, told The Columbus Dispatch that King wanted to rob someone. “I was in the situation,” he said. “We robbed somebody, the people I was with."

After police gave chase, Braxton said, the pair initially heeded police orders to get down, but then King "got up and ran."
"When he ran, the cops shot him," he told the newspaper, adding the bullets hit King four or five times. “I didn’t think a cop would shoot. Why didn’t they Tase him?" Braxton said."
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...cer-shoots-kills-13-year-old-bb-gun/90398996/ Sept 15

Do Columbus OH LEOs carry tasers?

You don't pull a tazer when a suspect draws a guns.


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[CoolJ]

You don't pull a tazer when a suspect draws a guns.


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But that is not what this witness is saying. This witness is saying the 13yo got up and ran and was shot while running away. Nothing about pointing a gun at LEO

 

[jjenny]

But that is not what this witness is saying. This witness is saying the 13yo got up and ran and as shot while running away. Nothing about pointing a gun at LEO

This witness isn't exactly an independent party.

 

[bluesneakers]

This witness isn't exactly an independent party.

And in cases like this we know LEOs don't make for reliable witnesses.

So whom do we believe?

 

[CoolJ]

This witness isn't exactly an independent party.

Regardless, the story, as told by police, appears to me as though it is being disputed by others that were witness to the event.

 

[katydid23]

Regardless, the story, as told by police, appears to me as though it is being disputed by others that were witness to the event.

But the problem with cases like this, is the two groups of 'witnesses' are looking from two very different points of view.

People on the street 'see' a kid , trying to escape arrest, running and turning back to look behind him...and being shot multiple times by the militant police...

The cops 'see' an armed robbery suspect, resisting arrest, running and possibly taking a hostage or breaking into a home, and then turning to look back at them, and see him reach into his waistband, possibly to shoot at them...


They see two different things, and they are both right...

 

[drjones]

And in cases like this we know LEOs don't make for reliable witnesses.

So whom do we believe?

the facts?

he was armed with a BB gun that looked like a real gun.

he used that gun in an armed robbery.

he ran from the police.

did he remove the gun from his waist while fleeing? i dont know yet, but that is the claim of the officer.

has any other witness directly contradicted that claim? not that i am aware of.

""When he ran, the cops shot him," he told the newspaper, adding the bullets hit King four or five times. “I didn’t think a cop would shoot. Why didn’t they Tase him?" Braxton said."

are there more comments from Braxton? because that quote does not dispute what the officer said. he ran, he was shot.

did Braxton have a clear view of the entire pursuit? did he witness the actual shooting? is he claiming he could see both of King's hands and that King did not take the gun out?

btw i have not seen anywhere that the police claim King turned towards the officer or pointed the gun toward the officer, only that he took the gun out from his waist area. if anyone has a source for any other claims by the police please post them. (i believe i read all the stories in the links on the thread so far)

 

[Linda7NJ]

And in cases like this we know LEOs don't make for reliable witnesses.

So whom do we believe?

I'll take the word of a cop over the word of someone that just robbed someone any day of the week.




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[K_Z]

Attorneys for the family of a 13-year-old Ohio boy fatally shot by a policeman said Friday they want to hear from witnesses, because the police version of events "might not be true."

A spokesman for Columbus police says they won't comment on how Braxton's story compared with officers' accounts.

Authorities have said officers investigating the robbery report east of downtown Columbus spotted three males who matched the description of the suspects. Two of the males ran away when officers tried to speak with them, investigators said.

The police chased the pair into an alley and tried to take them into custody. Tyre pulled out what looked like a handgun, and an officer fired, hitting the boy multiple times, police said.

The shooting will be investigated thoroughly, authorities said. Evidence will automatically be presented to a grand jury to determine if the officer's actions were justified or if charges are warranted.

The Franklin County coroner said Friday that Tyre's autopsy was complete but she wouldn't yet release details, including where he was shot. The official manner of death is pending, with a final report not expected for several weeks, said Dr. Anahi Ortiz.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap...tal-police-shooting-boy-13.html#ixzz4KX3XvAbG
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

 

[K_Z]

TK lived with his grandmother. The article also quotes a 13 year old sister (different last name).

King, who lived with his grandmother near the Brittany Hills neighborhood on the Northeast Side, was with several teens in the area of S. 18th Avenue and Capital Street in the Olde Towne East area Wednesday night.

The vigil, organized by the People’s Justice Project, lasted more than three hours. The crowd included several of King’s family members and his football teammates from the Columbus Day Stars.

They prayed, a saxophone player offered up "Amazing Grace" and King's football team shared their pledge.

Michael Bell, founder of the Columbus Day Stars, said his 17-year-old football program focuses on mentoring children. King, a first-year player with an infectious smile, joined the team and was working hard to improve, Bell said.

The coach said he can’t stop wondering whether he could have done more to help King. The program didn't have enough kids to field a team for King's age group, so they had suspended practices.

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/09/15/13-year-old-shooting-update.html#

An attorney for Tyre's family, Sean Walton, called for an independent investigation. He also said he was aware of witnesses who didn't agree with the police version of events. Walton would not discuss any previous dealings Tyre had with police but said the boy had no violent criminal history.

BBM. IMO, that is lawyer-speak for "yes, he has a police record, just not arrested for violent crimes."

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/6121...-fatally-shot-police-after-pulling-out-bb-gun

 

[bluesneakers]

I'll take the word of a cop over the word of someone that just robbed someone any day of the week.




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I've read and heard too many false statements from law enforcement to automatically take their word over a witness' word.

 

[CoolJ]

I'll take the word of a cop over the word of someone that just robbed someone any day of the week.




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It should be that way. We should be able to presume LEO are the more honest and credible persons relative to armed robbers and the like. I'm just not so sure we can always make that presumption anymore. JMO

 

[K_Z]

Several articles state TK was enrolled, or "last enrolled" at Linden-McKinley STEM Academy. I'd be curious to know if he had good attendance, and what his grades and disciplinary record was like. It might help explain more of what was going on with this 13 year old that he ended up being shot while committing an armed robbery. I think they should have released his school picture to the media from this year, or last year, rather than the "old" pic of him much younger, and the grainy cell pic. School pics are an "official" record, not just a family keepsake.

It seems he had at least a few good mentors, or potential mentors, in his life, like the youth football coach (though the program was suspended for his age level due to low attendance), and he had at least one consistent adult (grandmother) in his life, though there are probably some serious social difficulties about why his parents were apparently not raising him. There is a mention of him participating in a "young scholars" program, but can't find more info on that at this particular school.

By any measure, Linden-McKinley is a tough, low performing school, despite the lofty title. Graduation rate is 63%. 640 students in grades 7-12. Performance index rating of "D". Nearly all students are minorities, and poor.

http://kidsohio.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/D-F_flyer05_v4.pdf

http://www.usnews.com/education/bes...l-district/linden-mckinley-stem-academy-15181

 

[Jovi Girl]

I wish my children had only that many students in that grade range. We have 3000 plus at the high school and most go to college. Why are these programs in place if the school is performing poorly ? Social issues are for another time I guess, but it goes back to what is being prioritized at home and school. Ok, we are upper middle class, mostly 2 parent families. My children are exposed to families who encourage healthy extracurricular activities, academics, SAT classes etc. All on the parents' time and money. These poor inner city neighborhoods have access to programs and extra school dollars to help them catch up to the middle class students. Why isn't it working ? Why is a 13 year old out trying to rob people ? Peer pressure ? Was the mentoring program not giving him enough incentive and guidance to stay away from that lifestyle? I'm 100 percent supportive of helping kids from tough neighborhoods. Why are we still seeing problems while we try to solve them? There are many successful programs , what makes them succeed while others fail ? I'm not just sitting here judging, my own childhood was a little tough, the neighborhood itself was not the greatest and I was raised with a single parent. We went to private school, ( my father went to the school and told them our situation, we got scholarships ) we never hung out in the streets. We took buses and other transportation out of town to the suburbs on weekends to play at the parks. My parent was also legally blind , we had food stamps, not much money. We eventually moved to a more suburban area , again with my parent initiating the move. Seriously it must have been tough, but he made it work. He pushed us to be good people and treat others with respect. I knew many other families in similar situations as mine. None of the kids from those families robbed people or got into that type of trouble. What exactly changed ?

 

[K_Z]

A community meeting at an East Side church turned tense Friday night, two days after Tyre King, 13, was shot and killed by Columbus police.

The meeting, held at Central Seventh-Day Adventist Church on 18th Street, became heated when event organizers said there wasn’t time to hear from everyone.

During the meeting, Mayor Ginther said that Columbus police officers will start wearing body cameras by the beginning of the year.

http://nbc4i.com/2016/09/16/community-gathers-to-voice-concerns-about-death-of-tyre-king/

COLUMBUS — Some people believe a community meeting designed to find solutions after the shooting death of Tyre King at the hands of police was more of a show.

The Columbus police chief, mayor and safety director fielded questions from a couple hundred people inside the Central Seventh Day Adventist Church not far from where King was shot and killed by a Columbus police officer Wednesday night.

The meeting was quickly brought to a boil when many felt like they weren't getting answers or even a voice.

Abdur-Rahim was escorted out of the community meeting shortly afterwards screaming the words black lives matter.

Church leaders wanted to give everyone an opportunity to speak and limited time at the microphones.

"I wanted to hear sympathy they stood on that stage acting like they're mightier and holier than us with smirks on their face never answering any questions," said Abdur-Rahim.

People stood in long lines to bring up questions and concerns about the King police shooting death to Safety Director Ned Pettus, Jr., Police Chief Kim Jacobs and Mayor Andrew Ginther.

"I want to know what do we have to lose for an independent investigation and a special prosecutor," said Debbie Crawford.

Pettus says assigning a special prosecutor is not within their authority but can request Justice Department help.

"We don't even have enough information yet to provide to a special prosecutor but I am here to tell you we are here to do the right thing," said Pettus.

http://abc6onyourside.com/news/loca...concerns-after-tyre-king-death-becomes-heated

Ginther said it’s a time of mourning in Columbus, describing King as a “child of God” and “a neighbor.”

“These are challenging and troubling times for us as a community,” Ginther said. “But I believe in the people of Columbus. I believe that if we are honest with each other, if we’re open, if we’re transparent and hold each other accountable, we will emerge stronger as a city and as a community."

The mayor also said he hopes the city can “draw a line in the sand” against violence, and he questioned society’s obsession with guns. He added that it is “unacceptable” for a 13-year-old to be armed with a “firearm replica.”

Community members lined the rows between the pews of the Olde Towne East church, waiting to take the microphone and ask city officials about King’s death, public safety in general and the police’s ability to connect with the community.

Susan Smith, founder of Crazy Faith Ministries in the University District, questioned the amount of focus that Chief Jacobs put on the BB gun during a news conference that Columbus police held after King’s death. She also criticized the description of King as an armed suspect during that event, saying it was “dehumanizing.”

http://www.dispatch.com/content/sto...-officials-talk-about-death-of-tyre-king.html

BBM. The emphasis on THE GUN and the USE of the gun by the suspect, was the REASON for the shooting! How can they not comprehend this? SMH.

Dehumanizing?? Ok, why in the world would the police chief APOLOGIZE for characterizing TK as an "armed suspect"?? The 911 call, from 3 different callers, clearly stated it was an armed robbery! No one even disputes that TK actually WAS the one committing the armed robbery. Why on earth could ANYONE characterize that as "dehumanizing"?? It's FACTUAL. It's TRUE. I'm sorry that the truth is so painful, but there it is. He wasn't a "child with a toy gun", he was a criminal suspect committing felony armed robbery and resisting arrest.

The police chief and mayor, IMO, did not handle this meeting with the correct tone or message to the community, IMO. An ARMED ROBBERY was called in by 911 by THREE different citizens, and police responded. The police were not out to profile, hunt, and kill a random black teenager. It's sad, and very unfortunate, that TK did what he did, but the police chief should not be apologizing for her department's response to this violent crime! TK's own actions started and continued this entire situation, including the actions leading to his death. That's where the blame should be placed. The pandering, soft shoe, and backpedaling is literally jaw dropping. All I can surmise is that the mayor and police chief think that if they pander to these community activists enough on their "apology tour", they "might" head off demonstrations and riots.

IMO, the mayor and police chief need to express sadness and regret at the loss of the young life, and place blame squarely where it belongs-- on TK for committing armed robbery-- and on the crime and social problems within his family and community that lead to a 13 year old committing armed robbery. The leaders in the community need to get a backbone and stand up and tell the truth to their parishioners and neighbors. There are times when the police have to shoot to kill in the course of doing their jobs. This was clearly, without question, one of those times. I get it that the truth is painful to the community-- but at some point, the pain of the TRUTH should motivate the community to STOP TOLERATING and ENCOURAGING CRIME, and stop pretending that the "culture" in their communities is not the root cause of all of this. This is not a case of police brutality or "over policing."

I am really, really struggling to see how anyone could see this as an unjustified use of deadly force in these kind of violent criminal circumstances, or that this was somehow a failure of "understanding" between the community and police. I literally can't even comprehend that. I'm glad the mayor and police chief want to try to make some inroads here with a "community meeting", but IMO, it's just a waste of their time. The community is not ready to hear and face the truth, IMO.

 

[Kimberlyd125]

Not sure if this has been posted...

http://nbc4i.com/2016/09/17/police-...lved-in-robbery-that-led-to-tyre-kings-death/

Police arrest man who was allegedly involved in robbery that led to Tyre King’s death

Officers arrested Demetrius Emanuel Lee Braxton on one count of robbery, a felony of the second degree.

 

[K_Z]

TK was carrying a Umarex 40 XP Blowback BB pistol, around $50 at walmart.

Video of the operation of this pistol:

[video=youtube;6DIk0sG8Bds]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DIk0sG8Bds[/video]

 

[Cubby]

http://nbc4i.com/2016/09/16/community-gathers-to-voice-concerns-about-death-of-tyre-king/



http://abc6onyourside.com/news/loca...concerns-after-tyre-king-death-becomes-heated


http://www.dispatch.com/content/sto...-officials-talk-about-death-of-tyre-king.html

BBM. The emphasis on THE GUN and the USE of the gun by the suspect, was the REASON for the shooting! How can they not comprehend this? SMH.

Dehumanizing?? Ok, why in the world would the police chief APOLOGIZE for characterizing TK as an "armed suspect"?? The 911 call, from 3 different callers, clearly stated it was an armed robbery! No one even disputes that TK actually WAS the one committing the armed robbery. Why on earth could ANYONE characterize that as "dehumanizing"?? It's FACTUAL. It's TRUE. I'm sorry that the truth is so painful, but there it is. He wasn't a "child with a toy gun", he was a criminal suspect committing felony armed robbery and resisting arrest.

The police chief and mayor, IMO, did not handle this meeting with the correct tone or message to the community, IMO. An ARMED ROBBERY was called in by 911 by THREE different citizens, and police responded. The police were not out to profile, hunt, and kill a random black teenager. It's sad, and very unfortunate, that TK did what he did, but the police chief should not be apologizing for her department's response to this violent crime! TK's own actions started and continued this entire situation, including the actions leading to his death. That's where the blame should be placed. The pandering, soft shoe, and backpedaling is literally jaw dropping. All I can surmise is that the mayor and police chief think that if they pander to these community activists enough on their "apology tour", they "might" head off demonstrations and riots.

IMO, the mayor and police chief need to express sadness and regret at the loss of the young life, and place blame squarely where it belongs-- on TK for committing armed robbery-- and on the crime and social problems within his family and community that lead to a 13 year old committing armed robbery. The leaders in the community need to get a backbone and stand up and tell the truth to their parishioners and neighbors. There are times when the police have to shoot to kill in the course of doing their jobs. This was clearly, without question, one of those times. I get it that the truth is painful to the community-- but at some point, the pain of the TRUTH should motivate the community to STOP TOLERATING and ENCOURAGING CRIME, and stop pretending that the "culture" in their communities is not the root cause of all of this. This is not a case of police brutality or "over policing."

I am really, really struggling to see how anyone could see this as an unjustified use of deadly force in these kind of violent criminal circumstances, or that this was somehow a failure of "understanding" between the community and police. I literally can't even comprehend that. I'm glad the mayor and police chief want to try to make some inroads here with a "community meeting", but IMO, it's just a waste of their time. The community is not ready to hear and face the truth, IMO.

Another brilliant post!

 

[flourish]

I'm having a difficult time understanding the idea that the officer erred in this situation. From the information we have, the deceased was, by many accounts, actively committing a crime against a person using the threat of a weapon.
He clearly thought the weapon appeared real enough to fool his victims. He didn't stop when LE instructed him to, and was rightfully viewed as an active and armed threat. They disabled that threat.

It's sad and awful that a young teenager chose to engage in that behavior. And that is an area well worth exploring, IMO. But I cannot blame the officer who neutralized an active and very potentially dangerous threat. I'm not sure what his realistic viable options were supposed to be. I'm open to explanations, of course. But this one seems pretty clear to me. If anyone decided that teenager's life didn't matter, it was his culture, his peers, himself...

 

[al66pine]

I'm having a difficult time understanding the idea that the officer erred in this situation. From the information we have, the deceased was, by many accounts, actively committing a crime against a person using the threat of a weapon.
He clearly thought the weapon appeared real enough to fool his victims. He didn't stop when LE instructed him to, and was rightfully viewed as an active and armed threat. They disabled that threat.

It's sad and awful that a young teenager chose to engage in that behavior. And that is an area well worth exploring, IMO. But I cannot blame the officer who neutralized an active and very potentially dangerous threat. I'm not sure what his realistic viable options were supposed to be. I'm open to explanations, of course. But this one seems pretty clear to me. If anyone decided that teenager's life didn't matter, it was his culture, his peers, himself...

Agreeing w ^ but re-ordering a few words: If anyone decided that teenager's life didn't matter, it was he himself first, his culture, his peers.