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In reply to the discussion: Deputy who shot Santa Rosa boy identified [View all]quakerboy
(13,920 posts)I would love to see a quote from the FBI saying that it was clearly not a real gun, that it was easily identifiable as a fake. Or from the other deputy. He was still in the car. Doesn't mean he wouldn't have been shooting if he had been out. Cops seem to be kinda quick on the trigger. In fact the article you quote seems to counter your claim itself. "Deputy Gelhaus was able to engage more quickly because he didn't have to drive the vehicle"
http://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/Friends-question-killing-of-boy-who-had-fake-rifle-4920174.php#photo-5358018
I look at the pictures, and I dont see how someone from a reasonable distance could immediately identify the fake. With a little examination, the differences become clear, but on split second glance, I wouldn't know. Would you?
But even if you can provide those quotes, and could easily identify the gun as a fake from 20 feet, around a corner, it doesn't change anything. Even if the kid was carrying a bright pink hello kitty tennis racket instead of a toy gun, it makes no difference.
The cop killed him. The cop shouldn't have done that. There was no need. But the size of a 13 year old boy is irrelevant to that. If he was a 3'3 midget, the cop still shouldn't have shot him dead. And if he was the same size as Andre the giant, the cop still shouldn't have shot him dead.