Police in Cleveland fatally shot a 12-year-old boy wielding what turned out to
be a replica gun. They were responding to a 911 call in which a man said a
juvenile was scaring people with a gun that probably was fake.
Is Tamir Rice dead because bb gun vendor Airsplat makes toys too realistic? Is
he dead because Cleveland officers weren't trained properly for this kind of
situation? Or is he dead because a 911 dispatcher profiled Tamir and failed to
give the full report? The answer maybe a combination of all three factors, but
Cleveland now has to brace for unrest and outrage in the shadow of the Ferguson
grand jury decision.
When Toys Look Real
Glock has filed a major lawsuit against prominent airsoft vendor AirSplat for selling unlicensed replicas of Glock pistols in airsoft form. They have filed 11 charges against AirSplat that run the gamut from patent infringement to trademark infringement and false advertising.
As far
back as 1988, stories of toy guns being the cause of police shootings have
made the news. The results: many realistic toy guns are banned state-wide.
Ohio, unfortunately, has no such ban. The mayor
of Cleveland, Frank G. Jackson, tried to get an ordinance passed against
such toys, but since it was attached to a real gun control law, it didn't pass.
It was considered a lame-brained ordinance proposed by lame-brained gun control
advocates. It was certainly not supported by the NRA. What IS supported by the
NRA:
Administrative Leave - With Pay
The two officers involved in Tamir's death have been place on administrative
leave with pay. This may not sit well with some citizens of Cleveland. And
while Deputy Chief Ed Tomba gave the report that the police acted in accordance
with protocol, Tamir's family is launching its own investigation.
Police approaching a 12-year-old boy in a recreation center who did not point
the gun at them have some 'splainin' and training to account for.
When The Dispatchers Profile
"Is He Black?" is repeated several times to the caller and at times
it seems that the race of the boy was more important than his clothing. The
caller can be heard to hesitate to answer.
According to early reports the
two officers who responded --
the rookie and a veteran -- were not told that the caller had twice said he
believed the gun to be a fake.
In other words, the police only reported to a "gun incident" by a
black man. The Cleveland police department disavows any aspect of race in the
matter.
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