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| Tamir Rice: US police kill boy, 12, carrying replica gun | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| A 12-year-old boy has been shot dead by police in the US city of Cleveland, after carrying what turned out to be a replica gun in a playground. | A 12-year-old boy has been shot dead by police in the US city of Cleveland, after carrying what turned out to be a replica gun in a playground. |
| Police say an officer fired two shots at the boy after he failed to obey an order to raise his hands. | Police say an officer fired two shots at the boy after he failed to obey an order to raise his hands. |
| A caller reported the boy to police for scaring people with a gun but said that he did not know if it was real. | A caller reported the boy to police for scaring people with a gun but said that he did not know if it was real. |
| One of the officers was in his first year on the local force, the other had more than 10 years of experience. | One of the officers was in his first year on the local force, the other had more than 10 years of experience. |
| The medical examiner for Cuyahoga County identified the boy as Tamir Rice. | The medical examiner for Cuyahoga County identified the boy as Tamir Rice. |
| The boy was shot on Saturday afternoon and died in hospital early on Sunday morning. | The boy was shot on Saturday afternoon and died in hospital early on Sunday morning. |
| 'Airsoft' | 'Airsoft' |
| Cleveland deputy police chief Ed Tomba said the boy was shot twice after pulling the gun from the waistband of his trousers. | Cleveland deputy police chief Ed Tomba said the boy was shot twice after pulling the gun from the waistband of his trousers. |
| The boy did not make any verbal threats nor point the gun towards the officers, Mr Tomba added. | The boy did not make any verbal threats nor point the gun towards the officers, Mr Tomba added. |
| Police said the weapon was an "airsoft" replica gun that resembled a semi-automatic pistol, adding that an orange safety indicator had been removed. | Police said the weapon was an "airsoft" replica gun that resembled a semi-automatic pistol, adding that an orange safety indicator had been removed. |
| The caller said the boy was pulling the gun in and out of his trousers. "I don't know if it's real or not," the caller told police. | The caller said the boy was pulling the gun in and out of his trousers. "I don't know if it's real or not," the caller told police. |
| But Jeff Follmer, president of the Cleveland police association, said the two officers at the scene were not told about the caller's comments. | But Jeff Follmer, president of the Cleveland police association, said the two officers at the scene were not told about the caller's comments. |
| The BBC's David Willis in Washington says an investigation is under way and both officers have been placed on administrative leave. | The BBC's David Willis in Washington says an investigation is under way and both officers have been placed on administrative leave. |
| He says there have already been calls for tighter controls on fake guns, with one local lawmaker - Alicia Reece - saying she intends to introduce legislation that would require fake guns sold in Ohio to be brightly coloured. | He says there have already been calls for tighter controls on fake guns, with one local lawmaker - Alicia Reece - saying she intends to introduce legislation that would require fake guns sold in Ohio to be brightly coloured. |
| A lawyer for Rice's family, Timothy Kucharski, told the BBC that he would be conducting an investigation, in "parallel" to the police, in order to establish exactly what happened. | A lawyer for Rice's family, Timothy Kucharski, told the BBC that he would be conducting an investigation, in "parallel" to the police, in order to establish exactly what happened. |
| "If in fact we determine that Tamir's rights are violated, we will proceed with civil action against the police," he said. | "If in fact we determine that Tamir's rights are violated, we will proceed with civil action against the police," he said. |
| Cleveland's police force has come under increased scrutiny in recent years, most notably over a high-profile car chase in 2012 that ended with two deaths and officers firing 137 shots. | Cleveland's police force has come under increased scrutiny in recent years, most notably over a high-profile car chase in 2012 that ended with two deaths and officers firing 137 shots. |
| The US Justice Department is currently conducting an investigation of the force's pursuit and use-of-force practices. | The US Justice Department is currently conducting an investigation of the force's pursuit and use-of-force practices. |
| Are you in Cleveland? Do you have any information you would like to share? You can email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. If you are willing to talk to a BBC journalist, please leave a contact number. | Are you in Cleveland? Do you have any information you would like to share? You can email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. If you are willing to talk to a BBC journalist, please leave a contact number. |
| Have your say | Have your say |