Police said additional suspects were being sought as the shooting and reported robbery remained under investigation.
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As the Columbus Dispatch reports, Officer Mason was reportedly involved in the shooting death of an armed man four years prior, but was found to have “acted within policy”. They provided no further information about him. The department says it awards Silver Crosses to officers who demonstrate acts of courage in unsafe situations.
The eight-minute 911 call continued until the witnesses heard shots fired. “When he ran, the cops shot him”.
Relatives are still grieving and working on the funeral arrangements, Sean Walton, an attorney for Tyre’s family, said Friday morning.
“My eyes are still swollen, and my head still hurts”, the Columbus Dispatch quoted King’s 13-year-old sister, Marshay Caldwell, as saying.
Mr Walton has called for an independent investigation.
“Why is it that a 13-year-old would have almost an exact replica of a police firearm on him in our neighborhoods – an eighth-grader involved in very, very unsafe conduct in one of our neighborhoods?”
King and another male ran from officers who were investigating an armed robbery.
King was taken to Nationwide Children’s Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 8:22 p.m. When officers caught up with the two, Tyre allegedly pulled what has now been identified as a BB gun with a laser sight, and was shot and killed.
Now, Mason has been placed on a week-long leave while an investigation takes place. The chief asked for patience in the city while the shooting was investigated.
“They are shocked and indicate the actions described by the police are out of his normal character”, she said.
Police are said to have been called to reports of a group of people, including one armed with a gun, demanding money. The officers followed them into an alley when police say a suspect, later identified as Tyre, pulled a gun from his waistband, and an officer shot him several times. Two of them ran away when officers tried to speak with them.
Police said King removed a BB gun from his waistband, when Mason fired “multiple” times and killed him.
Jason Pappas, president of Fraternal Order of Police Capital City Lodge No. 9, was at the shooting scene Wednesday night and spoke with the officer involved.
Police say Tyre was carrying a pellet gun easily available for purchase at stores. The officer was searching for robbery suspects.
Ginther said today, “Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved”.
Tyre was a “typical 13-year-old” who played football, soccer, hockey and gymnastics, said Walton.
The coroner, Dr Anahi Ortiz, said Tyre’s post-mortem examination was complete but she would not yet release details, including where he was shot.
“There are allegations that have been made regarding his actions, and those allegations can not be taken as factual until a thorough, unbiased investigation has taken place”, he added.
Family attorney Chanda Brown took issue with the Columbus PD investigating the shooting itself.
Police said the incident is under investigation. The officer in the Rice case was not charged with any wrongdoing, which Cleveland-area congressional Rep. Marcia Fudge called “a miscarriage of justice”. CBS affiliate WBNS-TV reports he will see a mental health professional before he returns to work.
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“I will not let an officer out on the street to perform their job if I do not trust them”, Jacobs said. So far, they said, they do not know of any video recording of the shooting.
