14-yo black teen critically wounded after shootout with Missouri police
A 14-year-old black teenager has been hospitalized after being shot by police in St. Louis, Missouri, local media and law enforcers said. The teenager reportedly opened fire on officers first.
The incident occurred at around 9:25 a.m on Sunday in the Walnut Park East area of the city’s northwest with police stopping the teenager to talk to him about a carjacking which occurred in the area in September, according to The St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
St. Louis police chief Sam Dotson at crime scene on Davison Ave near Walnut Park pic.twitter.com/l7Uf5SZjgk
— Jacob Barker (@jacobbarker) October 2, 2016
The teen, who hasn’t been named, is understood to have begun running away from the police but they followed. The teenager then fired “at least one shot” at the two police officers, who then returned fire while in pursuit.
Crowd of roughly 50 people gathered outside officer involved shooting scene by Walbridge Elementary pic.twitter.com/iD1fZhzwkS
— Jacob Barker (@jacobbarker) October 2, 2016
Police Chief Sam Dotson said witness heard the officers identify themselves as such and ordered the teen to “get down, get down, get down,” reported local station KMOX.
In a series of tweets following the shooting, St Louis police confirmed the teenager’s age and race as well as saying he was in a “critical, stable condition at hospital.”
The two officers involved were white and have served the force for around eight years. Neither of the officers were injured.
The suspect shot in today's incident in 5000 blk of Beacon is a 14-year old black male & is listed in critical,stable condition at hospital.
— St. Louis, MO Police (@SLMPD) October 2, 2016
Police are carrying out what they describe as “a fluid, ongoing investigation” and it’s understood there is no dashcam or body camera footage of the incident but police say they are “searching for any possible surveillance video in area.”
The Force Investigative Unit & the CAO responded to scene & is investigating. Also searching for any possible surveillance video in area.
— St. Louis, MO Police (@SLMPD) October 2, 2016
.@ChiefSLMPD spoke w/ reporters & citizens on scene & advised this is a fluid, ongoing investigation & info is what we know at this point.
— St. Louis, MO Police (@SLMPD) October 2, 2016
A number of bystanders gathered near the scene after the shooting said they were skeptical of the circumstances surrounding the shooting, according to The St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
"People are just tired of the police shootings," said St. Louis Alderman Chris Carter, explaining how the incident demonstrated the need for police body cameras.
Closer to scene. One woman tells "get those body cameras" pic.twitter.com/91bilZ3JcD
— Jacob Barker (@jacobbarker) October 2, 2016
In 2015, an autopsy report seemed to contradict the statements of St. Louis police in relation to the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Mansour Ball-Bey, who was also African-American.
Following the teen's death police said that officers opened fire after he pointed a gun at them but autopsy results showed the teenager had been shot in the back.
READ MORE: Autopsy reveals St. Louis cops shot teen in the back
Sunday’s shooting occurs only a short time after protests erupted in in El Cajon, California following the fatal shooting by police of 38-year-old Alfred Olango, an unarmed man, in the city.
