LAPD shooting of 13-year-old with pellet gun is a 'tragedy,' Chief Beck says

The shooting of a 13-year-old Glassell Park boy carrying what turned out to be a pellet gun by a Los Angeles Police Department officer is a "tragedy," Chief Charlie Beck said.

"This is a tragedy for all involved, but in particular for the young man injured in this police shooting and for the officer who believed that he was protecting himself and his partner from a real threat," Beck said in a statement. "The pellet gun the juvenile was using is the exact dimensions of a Beretta 92F and is indistinguishable from a real handgun on a dark night."

The chief added: "We have seen far too much heartbreak involving these types of realistic-looking guns that are labeled as toys."

The incident occurred about 7:50 p.m. Thursday when two LAPD officers on routine patrol in the 3000 block of North Verdugo Road saw three pedestrians in the middle of the street and stopped to investigate. The three people ran, with one ending up behind a van.

The officers got out of their patrol car, and one of them, Officer Victor Abarca, shined a flashlight on the person behind the van and ordered him to surrender. Based on the person’s 5-foot-7, 200-pound frame, Abarca assumed that he was a young adult male.

Police said the boy refused to comply and instead produced what was later found to be a fake Beretta 92F handgun. Abarca fired his gun, striking the boy.

Los Angeles Fire Department personnel responded and took the boy to a hospital, where he underwent surgery and was listed in critical but stable condition.

After the shooting, Abarca and rescue personnel were stunned to learn that the wounded male was, in fact, just 13. The other two youths, ages 13 and 14, were detained without incident after dropping their fake handguns. Three faux weapons were recovered.

Detectives from the LAPD’s force investigation division responded to the scene. Police said they had determined that the subjects had been playing in the dark street, shooting pellets at one another with the fake handguns. They said they anticipated that no criminal charges would be filed against any of the three juveniles.

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-- Martha Groves

There have been 50 violent crimes in Glassell Park in the last six months. Details from Crime L.A.:

Violent crimes (50)	Property crimes (174)

Comments

[Hairdryer]

I'm wondering for example where the game "cops and robbers" originated from. Who started that game?

Are kids being groomed for some kind of warfare? As extreme as that may come across, grooming can be a subtle and long process.

Some countries are more extreme at doing that, others I fear are more shrewed and cunning at encouraging violence, death and wargames.

US, if we the citizens of the US need to prepare for warfare, then tell us, don't groom us.

[George2]

I'd pity the boy if most of the posters here were on a jury judging him. Mean and cold people here.

[Marcy Twane]

It's a shame the child was hurt, but how stupid do you have to be to ignore the police and display a gun (real or not)? Where the hell are the child's parents? Why haven't they even taught him the basics?

This is very sad but not surprising at all...Maybe if children were not exposed to so much gun-play and violence...distressingly, this society is WAY too gun (and violence) crazy. This ranges from video games to movies to "news" broadcasts.

[Richard]

Look at the bright side he is going to live thank god is wasn't a nozzle from a water hose thats punisable by two blast from a shot gun and six shots from a side arm.

[NorthernCA Teacher]

Police: The next full-size male with a real looking gun may be an adult with a real gun. Shoot then check it out.

Parents: Teach your children proactively not to RUN from the police.

Kids: Do not carry real-looking pellet guns.

[Margaret]

What is a 13 year old doing outside at 7:50pm and the parents not close by? Who bought him the pellet gun? I don't blame the police one bit. Parents are to blame for this one!

[oye]

Wow O_o! Let's see... kids playing with toy guns that look real at night in the street shooting at each other ... Sounds like they were all candidates for The Darwin Awards... or just stupid... at least the kids alive... hope he realizes how lucky he is.

[Frankie B.]

it's one thing to just be kids goofing off with pelet guns, but when the police arrive, just do as they say. Don't run, don't try to hide and then produce what appears to be a handgun. These kids are just plain stupid.

For those of you criticizing the police, what would you do if you saw someone in your backyard and then ran from you, and pulled what you thought was a gun on you.

[Alex P. Gomez]

What a waste of life. He should have been a football player, with his size. I wish more youths got involved with sports. I could have gone down the same path at his age. Just wish the kid had been doing something positive with his life. Instead of trying to be a gangster.

[Gem]

Individuals who break the law come in an array of different ethnicities. I don't think it's appropriate to inquire if the 13 year old was an illegal. What kind of racist coment is that? Bottomline, the public is asking for safer communities and I don't believe that the police had time to plant three pellet guns on three young boys! Therefore, I believe it was truly a tragedy and parents need to remind their children why a gun whether a toy or not is a dangerous weapon that can be deemed threatening to law enforcement and law abiding citizens. NE LAPD has my support and to the young man - hoping for your speedy recovery.

[Remain Anonymous]

There is an Airsoft Gun Store near the corner of Eagle Rock Blvd and Verdugo Road that sells and displays these assault type rifles and semi autos that look rear. I am a police officer and when I drove by, I observed approximately three male Latino teenagers walk out of that store and they looked startled when they looked at my patrol car. I knew that they possibly had just purchased one those semi-autos that are yes, airsoft guns, but I never saw a parent along their side. These stores in our communities are a recipe for disaster and I had that police hunch that something like this would happen. Its a sad day for the LAPD, no cop would want this to happen to a kid, but then again I lay the blame on parents and council leaders and the Mayor for allowing these stores in tough minority neighborhoods.

[PRECIGIL]

AND WHO WILL PROTECT US FROM THESE TRIGGER HAPPY COPS????????

[APenny4Ur!@#$]

What?! Were they already practicing being criminals? Playing in the dark street at night, shooting each other, and running when the police calls out to them... I'm sure in a couple more years there will be a similar senerio with real guns and the ending will be different but it won't be called a "tragedy"

[Cosmetic surgeon Los Angeles]

Wow! This is really tricky. Thanks for this nice & informative post from the author. This is really helpful.

[Steven M.]

Chief Beck-

It isn't the "look" of the firearm. when we grep-up in Los Angeles, we were taught to respect weapons, whether it was a firearm or a BB-pellet pistol / rifle. this instruction was provided either by the Boy Scounts of america or the YMCA.

Because of the liberturds attitude towards responsible firearms ownership and usage, the lack of respect and knowledge of what can take place, when one brandishes such, shows the deterioration of the values we grew-up with, in our society.

In the same position, it's a double-edged sword. Every LAPD officer goes through training and more training, but that decision to draw and fire, can be a split second, between the officer's / civilian's life, and such a decision needs to be made, in short order.

I truly regret that the response to the situation was used, but necessary considering the circumstances. Caught in the same position or circumstances described in the article, I would have drawn and fired my service pistol.

I hope the officers involved are or have the option of receiving counseling. If it isn't affecting them today, the trauma will wear off in a day or two and then it will hit them like a tsunami.

[Coriolana]

He meant travesty, but we get it.

[SandyC]

This could have been my son a few years ago. The only thing that stopped the officer was seeing the package of bright yellow pellets nearby! And for anyone who would criticize my parenting skills, let me remind you that you can't watch a kid every minute - and you can't anticipate every single impulsive, thoughtless action, either. My son never made that mistake again.

I agree that these guns are too realistic looking, and I wouldn't have faulted that officer if the unthinkable had happened. He has to protect himself, after all.

[Thinline72]

They ran ... the kid didn't comply with a lawful order ... and got shot. His fault as well as the parents for their inability to teach himto respect lawful authority.

[marie]

Wow, judging by the comments left regarding this story, LA Times readers are hateful, disgusting people.

Only a very miserable person would have no compassion for a 13 year old who is shot for playing with a fake gun. It reveals a person with no ounce of humanity left.

Our society makes realistic looking guns as toys. We call them toys. We give them to our children to play with. There is no warning label on toys saying, "This toy may result in the police shooting you. And it will be your fault".

The LAPD proves itself to be totally incapable of dealing with the most simple of police tasks. Shoot first and call it a tragedy later has become their MO. Apparently these tragedies will continue because our city is brimming with brutal, mean residents who have no respect for the value of life, and demand no professional conduct from their police force. One day the person who is unjustifiably shot by police could be someone you love.

[WTF]

Simple solution - Children's toys should look like children's toys. Why do kids have to have a gun that looks exactly like a real one? Pass a law that requires toy guns to be manufactured in bright colors ONLY.

[Clavote]

HUGE SALARIES AND PENSIONS shot this kid.
Since everyone wrote off this area, why not just send in the cops with guns blazing and just do a genocide on everyone. And sure, everyone shot "reached for their waistband".

[Sgt BillW]

We have taken guns away from 8 years olds on the street, around shoppers and pedestrians, and have observed them fire guns (not very good shots). LAPD did what the had to do!!! Remember when kids actually had parents that cared ???

[Edika]

Why would he point a fake gun at the cop?
He is thirteen, not stupid? Everyone is afraid to even look at a cop wrong, who would dare point a fake gun? An then your trap in the back of a van, with no one but the cops partner?

[Sue Manderfield]

The tragedy is that the boy wasn't intelligent enough to surrender the" weapon" when instructed to do so by the police. I am sorry for the boy but the blame rest with him.

[Kevin]

This may be a tragedy for the family of the stupid 13 year-old, but the officers responded to a real threat with deadly force. They did their job. And as we all know, you can't fix stupid.