Baltimore police shot a 13-year-old boy who was carrying a fake gun
Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin Davis told reporters near the scene of the shooting that two officers spotted the teenager carrying what appeared to be a firearm, identified themselves, and gave chase when he ran away. Davis said the teen's injuries were not life threatening.
"This is exactly what our community expects a police officer to do when they see someone with a firearm," Davis said. "Why this young man chose to flee on foot when he was approached by two Baltimore police officers, I don't know."
Davis said there was "no reason to believe that these officers acted inappropriately in any way," and the replica gun was a "dead-on ringer" for a semiautomatic pistol, ABC news reported.
Davis said the officers approached the teenager when they saw what they thought was a weapon. But after they identified themselves, the boy allegedly ran without dropping the gun. The boy was given "every opportunity" to drop what the officers thought was a handgun and put his hands in the air, Davis said, noting that it's common for criminals to carry fake weapons while committing crimes.
The boy's mother was taken in for questioning and told police she knew her son left home with the replica firearm, Davis said, according to the Baltimore Sun.
Wednesday marked the one-year anniversary of rioting in Baltimore following the death of unarmed black man Freddie Gray while in police custody. Gray had suffered a spinal cord injury after a ride in the back of a police transport van. Six officers have been charged in his death and await trial.
Gray's death was one of several incidents - including the fatal shooting of 12-year-old Tamir Rice in Cleveland, Ohio and death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. - to prompt nationwide protests and debate regarding racial profiling and deadly use of force by police officers.
The news of the shooting was met with outrage online, as users took to Twitter to decry the officers' conduct towards the boy, including DeRay Mckesson, the prominent Black Lives Matter activist and recently defeated Baltimore mayoral candidate.