The shooting occurred just after 4:00 PM, and Police Commissioner Kevin Davis has said in a statement that the child was holding what appeared to be a replica of a semi-automatic pistol.
Davis claimed that two plainclothes detectives saw the boy and told him that they were police, before the child attempted to flee from the officers. His mother was reportedly aware that the child had left home with the toy, and she is now being questioned by law enforcement.
The child was transported to a local hospital, and his injuries are not considered life threatening. The department has stated that they are investigating the incident.
— M G (@malicioussG) April 27, 2016
The incident immediately brought to mind the case of Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old child killed by Cleveland police in 2014 as he played with a toy gun in a park.
On Monday, the Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association released a statement urging the family of Rice to use the $6 million settlement, that they received from the city, to educate youth on the dangers of “facsimile firearms” while taking no responsibility for their fellow officer’s inappropriate and dangerous behavior.
