General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Justice for Tamir Rice! 12 year old shot and killed for a BB gun. [View all]branford
(4,462 posts)or at least relevant scholarly citations, to indicate that the best, safest and most prudent procedure when dealing with armed juvenile suspects who do not obey police instructions is to always permit them to fire first?
And yes, the 12 year old was in fact a "suspect." The scare quotes add little to the discussion. The police were called to the playground due to a 911 call indicating someone was waving around a gun. They quite correctly identified the boy with the gun. He was therefore a suspect. Just because someone is a suspect, does not make them guilty of a crime, justify shooting them without appropriate cause, or lessen the tragedy of their death.
Note that children much younger than 12 have been suspects (and actually convicted) in a whole host of crimes, including possession and use of a firearm.