An African American boy was just shot by Florida police in Jacksonville, on Friday night. The police say he was holding a toy Airsoft gun – much like the case last year with 12-year-old Tamir Rice, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Police say that the boy suffered an injury to the leg, but he is expected to survive.
When asked if the child was actually violating any laws, the police told us that there were no crimes they could report at this time that he is being accused of.
Police sources say that they were called to a Jacksonville woman’s house just after 11 p.m.
They say that the woman claimed there was an “armed prowler” at her window, according to Tom Hackney of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
Officer Josh Livingood says that he “approached the teen and told him to put his hands up.”
He claims – inexplicably – that the child then “pulled the gun”, which was actually a toy, and “pointed it,” according to Hackney.
Livingood then fired six shots at the boy. Thankfully, he missed all but one of those shots.
Livingood has been placed on paid administrative leave, according to police sources, pending an internal investigation that will no doubt clear him of any wrong-doing.
He has not been charged with any crime at this time, but neither has his victim.
“It”s a sad and unfortunate thing that it turns out that it was a BB gun, but it would be as equally sad and as equally unfortunate if that officer hesitated because he wasn’t sure it was a BB gun and I’m out here updating you on a dead police officer,” Hackney said to reporters last night.
The child has not been identified. Police claim he has “developmental and psychiatric disorders.”
We asked the Jacksonville police how they would have access to this sort of medical information. They had no comment.
“Why a 14-year-old would be roaming the streets, carrying what looks like a gun … there’s nothing good that’s going to come of that,” Hackney said – blaming the victim of trigger-happy police aggression.
Hackney admitted that the child had “no criminal history” but he said that he “has had multiple interactions” with the Jacksonville police. We asked again if this involved any criminal activity. The answer was no.
So in other words, the police are contorting half-truths to blame the victim of police violence and brutality.
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