An officer with the Tempe (AZ) Police Department shot and killed a 14-year-old boy on Wednesday, believing that the replica 1911 pistol in the teen's hand was a real gun.
According to KPHO-TV, police had responded to reports of a suspicious vehicle in the early afternoon. When they arrived, the young man exited the vehicle and took off running. At some point during the foot pursuit, the teen turned and displayed the weapon.
"This is unfortunately a situation that the officer is going to have to live with forever. They're going to carry some issues with them now that they know it wasn't an actual firearm. However, they're doing exactly what they're supposed to do by policy and procedure in their training with the police department," said Kevin Boontjer, a retired police sergeant.
