[Drizzt]

The Associated Press State & Local Wire

June 13, 2003, Friday, BC cycle

8:55 PM Eastern Time

SECTION: State and Regional

LENGTH: 235 words

HEADLINE: Richmond police shoot 16-year-old boy wielding toy gun

DATELINE: RICHMOND, Calif.

BODY:
Richmond police shot and killed a 16-year-old boy robbing them with a toy gun, authorities said.

Robert Roy Freeman was shot by two detectives at 10:50 p.m. Thursday and died later that night at Doctors Medical Center in San Pablo, said Richmond Police Lt. Mike Pon.

"It appears to be justified at this point because the officers felt their lives were in danger," Pon said. "It's an unfortunate situation where a young person lost his life.

In April, police launched a sting operation to crack down on a spate of armed robberies of pizza delivery men. Twelve such robberies have taken place since January.

The restaurant contacted Richmond police Thursday after receiving a suspicious order in a neighborhood where five robberies have occurred in recent months.

As an undercover officer, posing as a delivery man, walked toward the house to drop off the pizza, a hooded man approached, pulled out a gun and demanded money. The officer dropped the pizza box and shot the suspect. A second officer, waiting in an unmarked police car, also fired, Pon said.

Police are investigating whether the boy also was responsible for the 12 other robberies.

The two officers, who have not been identified, were placed on administrative leave while the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office and police investigate.

The suspect was carrying a replica of a 9mm Beretta semiautomatic handgun.

[Darrin]

Kids. :rolleyes: Why can't they learn from other's mistakes? I've heard more than a few times over the years where kids get shot while using a toy gun for stupid acts.

I see no fault on the LEOs for this. Let 'em take a few days off and go back to work.

[Jim March]

The evening news here carried the story, and RPD showed what they claim is the replica.

It was indeed quite realistic...the apparant Darwin Award Winner had started with something that looked pretty real, and then bored the muzzle to about 9mm and blackened the inside, to increase the threat potential.

Assuming the cop's story is legit, it looks like a clean shoot.

(For those about to hammer on me because I'm not 100% supportive of the cops, I used to live in Richmond and know a lot about that department. "Screwballs" doesn't even begin.)

[Feanaro]

Rob someone, replica or real weapon, and you get what comes your way.

[gunsmith]

they are the ones who will feel guilty,it must be terrible
knowing you shot a dumb teen (even though he certainly deserved it) .This also shows the perils of gun control.
The feral teen felt safe abusing the public cause he was safe in the knowledge that the citizens were un armed.
Or maybe Richmond teens are just stupid. A few weeks ago
two tried to hold up a gun store...

[CoolBreeze]

IMHO:

This young man was using a modified "toy" replica pistol to rob pizza delivery guys to get enough money to buy a real pistol.

Then he would move up to robbing 7-11s,
liquor stores,
or carjack your mom
or wife
or daughter at he local Wal-Mart parking lot
or home invasions
and all the other things young thug animals do to people they preceive to be weaker than they are.

With his new real pistol he would eventually kill someone or be shot and killed himself.

This of course would add to the statistics anti-gun groups use
of young "children" being killed by guns.

This is a sad thing to say but his being shot and killed at this stage of his criminal career has saved many normal citizens from being robbed, terrorized or even killed.

[jsalcedo]

But I'm sure deep down he was a good boy.

He really didn't want to hurt anyone. He just needed Pizza to take home and feed his family who have been rendered pizza-less
by the right wing conspiracy.:rolleyes:

[DigMe]

Great. Now California is going to ban toy guns (just like the UK is trying to do).

brad cook

[CZ-75]

Got another one off the street before he started taking up cell space, tax dollars, and the lives and/or property of honest citizens. Good shoot.

[TarpleyG]

This of course would add to the statistics anti-gun groups use of young "children" being killed by guns. This is a sad thing to say but his being shot and killed at this stage of his criminal career has saved many normal citizens from being robbed, terrorized or even killed.
Yeah, but he'll still be in those statistics now.

GT

[Bigjake]

here here

[GregoryTech]

"16-year-old boy"

Spin.

Anti-gun liberals are so predictable and tiring.

[Standing Wolf]

The suspect was carrying a replica of a 9mm Beretta semiautomatic handgun.

Never show up for a gun fight without a gun.

[redhead]

From the article:

"It's an unfortunate situation where a young person lost his life.

I'm going to step out on a limb here, and conjecture that this "young person", who has been referred to in news accounts as a "boy", was well on his way to being a lifelong criminal. Another article I read reported that the address that this pizza was going to was the same one where a pizza had been ordered within the past couple of months, and the driver had been robbed in the same fashion. I took a leap, and guessed that this dead "young person" was the same one who phoned in the previous order, then robbed the driver.

I'm sure those of us who live in the area will be treated to tearful stories relating how his tearful mom can't understand how this could have happened, and that he was a good boy. He was probably just playing, and those bad policemen shot a budding good citizen.

[CZ-75]

I'm going to step out on a limb here, and conjecture that this "young person", who has been referred to in news accounts as a "boy", was well on his way to being a lifelong criminal.


That's not much conjecture. Every criminal starts somewhere, but most habitual crooks start in their teens.

[Carlos]

I'm sure those of us who live in the area will be treated to tearful stories relating how his tearful mom can't understand how this could have happened, and that he was a good boy. He was probably just playing, and those bad policemen shot a budding good citizen.

Yes, they'll rile up fellow citizens, they'll demand an investigation, have demonstrations where some fat lady sings "We Shall Oveer-commmmme!" blah blah blah.

:banghead: :fire: :fire: Good riddance.

[wun_8_seven]

" well on his way to being a life long criminal" he was a life long criminal, his life just didn't last that long. 187

[capt_happypants]

Gunfight Rule #237:

A replica gun is no substitute for the real thing.

[TekChef]

That officer could have been ANY law abiding citizen with a CCW..

ohh..wait...PRK..nno it would have been not.


Another drop of bleach in the gene pool...Darwin award winner here.

"good kid" my a$$....

more like a lifelong thug in the making!