Texas Death Offers Grim Reminder That Gun Replicas Can Fool Police

[DeathToTheOil]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by struggle4progress (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

By MANNY FERNANDEZ
Published: January 8, 2012

BROWNSVILLE, Tex. — In the hallway of a middle school here on Wednesday morning, administrators tried to calm an agitated student who had randomly assaulted another student in a classroom. But then the adults noticed it: the student, a 15-year-old eighth grader named Jaime Gonzalez Jr., had a gun tucked into the waistband of his pants.

The administrators at Cummings Middle School asked Jaime if that was a gun, and he replied that it was, school district officials said. It was not quite the truth: the teenager was armed with a high-powered BB gun that resembled a black Glock semiautomatic handgun and that can be purchased on the Internet for about $60. But the situation escalated, as school officials announced a lockdown over the intercom and called 911, and teachers locked their classrooms, shut off the lights and moved their students away from the doors.

Police officers who responded confronted Jaime in the main hallway next to the principal’s office. Police officials said the officers repeatedly ordered the boy to drop the weapon, and they can be heard shouting “Put it down!” and “Put it on the floor!” several times in the recording of the 911 call released by the police. Jaime refused to comply, and pointed the weapon at the officers, police officials said. Two officers fired their weapons, striking the teenager, who was transported to a hospital with two gunshot wounds in the chest and abdomen. He was pronounced dead at 9:15 a.m.

The death has shocked this South Texas border city, but it was only the latest in a series of shootings involving realistic-looking BB guns and pellet guns. In recent years, dozens of police officers in Texas, California, Maryland, Florida and elsewhere have shot children and adults armed with what they believed were handguns but that were determined later to be BB guns or other types of air pistols. In addition, the gun replicas have killed or injured thousands of children around the country in cases in which the victims were accidentally shot by relatives or friends.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/09/us/teenagers-death-a-reminder-of-gun-replicas-dangers.html?hp

Why isn't there an emoticon here for "shakes head sadly"?

[aikoaiko]

1. It is a sad tale.

When I was a teenage punk kid, I saw a lot of friends disturbed by life, drugs, or just too much testosterone make dangerous decisions.

[Starboard Tack]

2. How tragic. We reap what we sow.

And this happened in a state that just legalized concealed carry of real guns, by students on college campuses. Imagine how police might respond to a campus shooting if any of those students pulled their weapon. Supporters of such madness think they represent the majority. I think the majority is oblivious to what is happening.

[DissedByBush]

5. In concealed carry classes

You are told to comply with any police orders concerning your concealed weapon.

A person who doesn't is violating the law, in which case such a person wouldn't mind violating a law against concealed carry on campuses either.

[Starboard Tack]

6. Let's hope they all teach that and handgun carriers remember.

Things can get pretty confusing in a firefight, especially when the cops don't know who the bad guy is out of all the students.
Just glad my kids are out of college and were never forced to study in that kind of environment.

[Edweird]

13. Um, concealed carry or not, if you point a weapon at police you will be shot.

In fact, I fail to see how the legalization of concealed carry by college students relates to this in any meaningful way except to grouse about how you dislike guns in general.

[DissedByBush]

3. Sounds like suicide by cop n/t

[SixthSense]

4. It's not like police are the sharpest tools in the shed to begin with

people can be refused a job as a police officer for being too intelligent (and this held up in court believe it or not)

file this one under "suicide by cop"

[Edweird]

12. So you can tell that this is a pellet gun from a distance?

I'd shoot in self defense.

[obamanut2012]

16. Many air pistols look just like pistols that shoot bullets

Many, like this one, is made to actually look like a specific make and model. If someone pointed the gun the boy had at me, and I was armed, I would shoot him.

Cops in this country are out of control, but we can't blame them for this boy's death. We also can't blame the school -- they tried to defuse the situation and control the student.

[Jean V. Dubois]

7. What's a "high-powered" BB gun?

It's bad enough when an SKS is called a "high-powered assault rifle", given that it's less powerful than a typical deer rifle and is decidedly not an assault rifle, but to refer to a BB gun that throws a .177 caliber BB at 450 fps "high-powered" is the height of absurdity.

[MsPithy]

8. Yet another sacrifice to the Gun God called

National Rifle Association. This is what they win when they destroy even sane gun control legislation. The country is awash in guns, everyone can get a gun, even if they are on the terrorist watch list. Every time a cop sees a gun pointed at him/her, they must assume it is real.

[Pacafishmate]

9. Although this has nothing to do with the NRA, I'm going to blame them anyway!

While we're at it, we need to idiot proof our world. Burn down all the forests (there might be bears that could *GASP* HURT SOMEONE), and cover all hard surfaces with soft foam. If we mandated that the exterior of all cars be covered with foam, it could save people in the event of a collision. Thinking is for losers, I let my emotions do my thinking!

[Evasporque]

10. they will take away my realistic BB gun when they pry it from the cold dead hands of my child....

im just saying....realistic replica air pellet guns are stupid....not only for the outcome of the op but for the same reason candy cigarettes are stupid...

pellet guns and BB guns should look like pellet and BB guns...not high powered human killing engines...

[Edweird]

14. Somebody gets shot when they point a weapon at the police and you blame the NRA?

That doesn't make any sense whatsoever.

[unkachuck]

11. "...Gun Replicas Can Fool Police"

"In recent years, dozens of police officers in Texas, California, Maryland, Florida and elsewhere have shot children and adults armed with what they believed were handguns but that were determined later to be BB guns or other types of air pistols."

“It’s a dangerous game you want to play, if you’re going to carry a gun that looks authentic,” said Detective Jose J. Trevino, a Brownsville police spokesman."

....police are not mind readers and can not be expected to make perfect calls of life and death in milliseconds....yet, a fifteen year old child is dead....

.....someone has to be responsible, someone's to blame....lacking in adult judgment, I consider the child the victim....

"...Gun Replicas Can Fool Police"....yes, maybe so, but under the circumstances, the police should not be considered victims and should be held accountable for their judgment....

[Edweird]

15. Protip: Don't point weapons at the police.

[struggle4progress]

17. LBN news stories should be posted within 12 hours of the event

And this story has been repeatedly posted at DU since it broke Wednesday:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002119800
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1124304
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002128499