The video shows Officer Ryan Westlake speaking to Tavion Koonce-Williams through his car window and seconds later firing his weapon toward the teen, whose arms were raised.
It would be incredibly hard to intentionally shoot someone in the hand in this type of situation. I don’t think his hand was the intended target. The cop hasn’t even fully exited his cruiser when he shoots. It says he shot him within seconds of the encounter.
The cop isn’t acting like the kid is a threat to him. He rolls up maybe 15 feet away, directly in his line of sight, talks to him through the window, and starts to exit his cruiser. He didn’t observe from a distance, or seek cover, or call for backup. He needlessly put himself in danger if he thought this kid was going to try to kill him.
It would be incredibly hard to intentionally shoot someone in the hand in this type of situation.
Yes, but that’s what happened. It’s entirely possible this cop has spent a lot of time at the range and intentionally made that shot.
This was 1 bullet in a (relatively rare) case of firearm discharge by an officer in Akron. The chances of that one bullet being fired and one bullet accidentally hitting exactly where it needed to are pretty low.
It was also pretty close range (which makes this easier), if he was aiming for center mass and hit this kid’s hand, he would have to be an incredibly bad shot.
He didn’t observe from a distance, or seek cover, or call for backup. He needlessly put himself in danger if he thought this kid was going to try to kill him.
It’s pretty clear he either didn’t think this was the kid or wasn’t expecting to have (what looked like) a gun pointed in his general discussion.
It’s also pretty clear that backup was not far away based on there being other cops on the scene within seconds of the shooting.
That was still plenty of time if it was a real gun for that officer’s family to be attending a funeral right now.
The chances of that one bullet being fired and one bullet accidentally hitting exactly where it needed to are pretty low.
The bullet didn't need to hit anywhere.
It’s pretty clear he either didn’t think this was the kid or wasn’t expecting to have (what looked like) a gun pointed in his general discussion.
There is no mention of the toy gun
being pointed at the cop.
It’s also pretty clear that backup was not far away based on there being other cops on the scene within seconds of the shooting.
Then he should have waited a few
more seconds and not tried to take on
a potential shooter alone and in such
an incompetent way.
That was still plenty of time if it was a real gun for that officer’s family to be attending a funeral right now.
That sounds like something the police
would say. You don't get to use lethal
force against someone based on a call
from the public, with zero investigation.
It would be incredibly hard to intentionally shoot someone in the hand in this type of situation. I don’t think his hand was the intended target. The cop hasn’t even fully exited his cruiser when he shoots. It says he shot him within seconds of the encounter.
The cop isn’t acting like the kid is a threat to him. He rolls up maybe 15 feet away, directly in his line of sight, talks to him through the window, and starts to exit his cruiser. He didn’t observe from a distance, or seek cover, or call for backup. He needlessly put himself in danger if he thought this kid was going to try to kill him.
Yes, but that’s what happened. It’s entirely possible this cop has spent a lot of time at the range and intentionally made that shot.
This was 1 bullet in a (relatively rare) case of firearm discharge by an officer in Akron. The chances of that one bullet being fired and one bullet accidentally hitting exactly where it needed to are pretty low.
It was also pretty close range (which makes this easier), if he was aiming for center mass and hit this kid’s hand, he would have to be an incredibly bad shot.
It’s pretty clear he either didn’t think this was the kid or wasn’t expecting to have (what looked like) a gun pointed in his general discussion.
It’s also pretty clear that backup was not far away based on there being other cops on the scene within seconds of the shooting.
That was still plenty of time if it was a real gun for that officer’s family to be attending a funeral right now.
The chances of that one bullet being fired and one bullet accidentally hitting exactly where it needed to are pretty low.
It’s pretty clear he either didn’t think this was the kid or wasn’t expecting to have (what looked like) a gun pointed in his general discussion.
It’s also pretty clear that backup was not far away based on there being other cops on the scene within seconds of the shooting.
That was still plenty of time if it was a real gun for that officer’s family to be attending a funeral right now.