In February 2016, officers in Parma, Ohio responded to a 911 call about two young people who had a gun that was possibly fake. When officers arrived on the scene, the two teens raised their hands and followed the officers’ commands.
Officers stated that neither one of the boys made any sudden moves and both were taken into custody.
The two teens, ages 12 and 15, both had BB guns that looked more powerful than a toy. Police also found marijuana. After pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct in juvenile court and the judge passed down a rare sentence. The teens were sentenced to write an essay on how their story is similar to that of Tamir Rice.
Rice was 12 years old when he was killed by Cleveland police after a 911 call was put in that he had what appeared to be a toy gun. The 911 dispatcher failed to inform the officers about the gun potentially being a toy.
On top of the essay about Tamir Rice, the teens have also been ordered to pay court costs and perform community service.
Even though this story didn’t end tragically and the judge made sure to use Tamir Rice’s story as a cautionary tale, it’s a sad day when kids have to be more careful of what they do to avoid being shot by cops.
