Update: Texas 8th Grader Shot and Killed by Police was Carrying a Pellet Gun
- Posted on January 5, 2012 at 10:58am by
Madeleine Morgenstern
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Police in Brownsville, Texas said the eighth grader shot and killed by officers Wednesday was carrying a pellet gun that closely resembled the real thing. (Image source: Brownsville Herald)
Jaime Gonzalez. (Image source: Brownsville Herald)
The Texas eighth grader shot and killed by police in a middle school hallway Wednesday was carrying a pellet gun, not a handgun as police initially thought.
The parents of 15-year-old Jaime Gonzalez are demanding to know why officers took lethal force against their son, but police say the boy was brandishing — and refused to drop — what looked like a handgun, and that the officers acted correctly.
According to police radio records obtained by the Brownsville Herald, officers arrived at Cummings Middle School and saw a male holding a black handgun in a hallway. Police said he pointed the gun at officers as they repeatedly asked him to drop the weapon:
“Take him out,” a policeman yells, according to the radio records.
The sound of fired shots reverberates on the radio call. Officers quickly call for emergency medical crews.
“Subject shot,” an officer repeats on the radio call.
The teenager was shot three times, twice in the chest area and once in the back of the head, and later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. No one else was injured.
“Why was so much excess force used on a minor?” the boy’s father, Jaime Gonzalez Sr., asked. “Three shots. Why not one that would bring him down?”
“What happened was an injustice,” his mother Noralva Gonzalez said. “I know that my son wasn’t perfect, but he was a great kid.”
But interim Police Chief Orlando Rodriguez said the teen was pointing the weapon at officers and “had plenty of opportunities to lower the gun and listen to the officers’ orders, and he didn’t want to.”
The chief said officers had every right to do what they did to protect themselves and other students even though there weren’t many others in the hallway at the time.
The pellet gun police say 15-year-old Jaime Gonzalez brandished before he was shot and killed Wednesday. (Image source: Brownsville Herald)
Shortly before the confrontation, Gonzalez had walked into a classroom and punched a boy in the nose for no apparent reason, Rodriguez said. Police did not know why he pulled out the weapon, but “we think it looks like this was a way to bring attention to himself,” Rodriguez said.
After the alleged assault, Gonzalez was walking toward the main office with the gun partially concealed in his clothes when an administrator saw him and called 911, the Herald reported. The school was immediately placed on lockdown and police moved in.
The teen’s godmother, Norma Navarro, told the Herald he was a kind person and a good student.
“He looked like a big boy, a man, but he was a child. He was innocent,” Navarro said. “He wasn’t going to hurt anybody, I can assure you. He would have never hurt anybody. I want those parents to know, don’t judge him if you don’t know him.”
Superintendent Carl Montoya remembered Gonzalez as “a very positive young man.”
“He did music. He worked well with everybody. Just something unfortunately happened today that caused his behavior to go the way it went. So I don’t know,” he said.
Gonzalez Sr. said he had no idea where his son got the gun or why he brought it to school, adding, “We wouldn’t give him a gift like that.”
Brownsville is in the southern tip of Texas, just across from the Mexico border.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Comments (294)
G.E.R
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:24amIt’s the shot to the back of the head that has me curious
Report Post »patriotmom1776
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:24amGun looks real, kid is 15 in 8th grade….he’s a young man. Clearly there’s more to the story. He may have been naive, but he wasn’t innocent. He may have been a great kid, but he clearly lacked judgment. Very sad his choices led to his death in such a sensational manner, but I don’t blame the police at all. Sounds like they felt threatened and he didn’t comply.
Report Post »MONICNE
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:32amLet’s hold off until we see the autopsy report… Unless multiple persons were cross-firing, the shot to the back of the head seems like over kill. Hard to get someone there at the same time you are shooting them twice in the front of their chest. Shooting someone in the skull after they are down is a coup de grace, an illegal but effective end to a human life.
TEA
Report Post »SpankDaMonkey
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:33am.
Report Post »It‘s Regan’s Fault, this kid is dead. After all if he had kicked out the Illegal Mexicans in the first place, instead of giving them Amnesty. He’d be safe and employed by a Mexican Drug Cartel……
Stoic one
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:50am15-8=7 SO this person flunked a grade or two. First grade starts at 6, kindergarten at 5. He and his parents apparently do not take education seriously. There-fore gun safety education will be lacking as well. If the PC principal is forced to produce this person’s disciplinary records, I think a lack of respect for authority will be found.
Being ‘nice’, being a ‘good kid’ are irrelevant.
My question is: What country is this family’s citizenry?
Report Post »turkey13
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:50amJust in – the President under the NDAA law (National Defense Authorization Act) he signed in yesterday by executive order is taking action. All officers involved and the Chief of police will be sent to Gitmo as terrorist. They only shot the kid because he was here illegally so it also made it hate crime. They also didn’t let him shoot one of the cops.
Report Post »yougottabekidding
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:55amMONICNE
It can also be a shoot taken at the chest a split second after he was hit, that twisted and dropped him which would make more sense.
Report Post »GodHatesFigs
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:58amThere are 9 grades from kindergarten to 8th grade. It is not unusual at all for a child to be held back for one year.
Report Post »COFemale
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 12:13pmMoncine the kid could have been falling at the time a bullet hit the head and I don’t think an autopsy will be conducted as cause of death is known. Autopsy are usually done when cause of death is questionable.
There is no rule in life that says a cop cannot shoot from behind. Cops can engage from any angle. I swear you Liberals have no concept of the law do you? Trust me, you don’t need to be a lawyer to understand laws.
Report Post »MOLLYPITCHER
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 12:21pmJust a sad story when someone so young dies.
Report Post »It was poor judgment on the kids part. He was old enough to know what was going to happen. Obviously there is a little more to the story. Since yesterday we didn’t know it was a pellet gun. But to me it sounds like the police acted appropriately.
TarLion
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 12:24pmThis is sad and tragic, but those pellet guns look real and they can do real damage. Unfortunately, the boy’s actions prompted the response from the police, and the acted appropriately. I am sad this family had to lose a child, and sad for the police that were forced to make the choice. I do believe however, that perhaps the parents were out of touch with their child. He may have been a good boy, but prior to the cops being called this “good boy” went into another classroom and punched another boy in the face for no reason. The boy’s father has no idea where he got the gun, so apparently not in touch with what his son is really out there doing. I tend to agree with “Stoic One.”
Report Post »recoveringneocon
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 12:27pmMONICNE
Report Post »I have read some of your post, I have to say, I like your thinking.
WAKEUPUSA2012
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 12:51pmI do blame the police. They should have taserd him or at least shoot him in the leg or arm. They shot him twice in the chest and once in the HEAD! Our police and government are outta control. We must stop them.
Secret Squirrel
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 1:15pm.
Report Post »Life is tough.
It‘s even tougher when you’re stupid.
Should’a learned that in 7th grade.
Favored93
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 1:20pmAt 15 years of age by now in this country you know that if you point a gun at a cop it will be the last thing you do on earth. This kid had to have known about columbine high school. He had to have known from the police warnings what was coming.
Report Post »If a kid shows up at my son’s school with a pink water gun and the cops do nothing I would be PISS*D!!!!!!!!!!!!
The teachers need to be allowed to carry a gun to protect themselves from the kids that want to be “gangstas” and to protect the kids from the “gangstas”.
The cops in this story clearly did the right thing and need to be given medals for their heroism and good judgement.
I do feel badly for this kids parents. What a tragedy for this family. I am just glad that this story did not end with other tragedies in other families.
God bless and keep those officers who had to make the hardest call a man can make.
Favored93
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 1:32pm@WAKEUPUSA2012
Report Post »If the police shoot a gunman (that’s what this kid was) in the leg he can and would shoot at you and a stray round go through a wall and hit another kid. If in the arm the officers round can miss or go through a wall. If you taze him he can and would squeeze a stray round again through a wall and hit another kid.
Think about the consequences of doing ANYTHING but what they did and you should change your tune. They are RIGHTLY trained that if you have to fire live rounds DON’T MISS!!! SHOOT TO KILL!!! They use non lethal means when they can. I am glad they didn’t! In this situation they did what they could for the boy. They warned him repeatedly and the kid left them no choice.
Elena2010
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 1:57pmThere will be an autopsy to determine angles of fire, etc.; it’s not abt cause of death.
There were at least two officers involved w/at least one assault rifle.
His family may have been part of Texas since the revolution. Don’t assume he was “wet” or that his family was. There were plenty of Tejanos who fought alongside the Anglos to secure Texas independence. Most of the Tejanos I know do not like the whole open border thing. They quietly resent illegals taking their jobs and making the whole community look bad. Up north, you only hear the loud voices.
Report Post »jnobfan
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 1:57pmMoncine is correct. 2 in the chest and one in the back of the head is unusual. No way the cops should not have shot him if he pointed the weapon at them but the back of head shot will likely cost the city a whole lot of money.
Report Post »ipaevavu
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 2:28pmin this situation simple firing a cripple shot, especially at an arm or leg the officers might miss, therefore putting themselves in a possible position to receive a fatal shot on there person. People that have been wounded can still fire a gun and kill people. If it is possible that someone might be shot or killed it is better to completely eliminate the target. Unfortunately life was lost, life is valuable regardless of whose it might be. This was no excessive, this was completely justified, the young man should have done what he was told, honestly sounds like he was looking to die. sad sad times
Report Post »WAKEUPUSA2012
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 3:02pmHell no thses cops are outta control. they are hiring cops who have low iq’s and people who are coming home from the military after killing people. We have check points, cops taking peoples blood with no warrent, NDAA, unPatriot act etc…No, we live in a police state. And most of you will continue to worship our military and police even while they throw you in jail for some stupid reason. Again these cops are outta control. 3 shoots is excessive force. just a stupid kid with a PELLET gun. so fail on brownsville pd.
Report Post »Dismayed Veteran
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 3:09pmThis is a long string so I apologize for being specific to several people.
Non-lethal weapons are used where physical restraint only is required to end the situation.
There is no such thing as shooting to wound. That is TV. If a firearm is required to end a situation, lethal force is required. Most LEO don’t draw their weapon except at the range. A gun fight is not range shooting. The risk to innocent bystanders is too great to shoot to wound. Futher, a wounded suspect can still shoot you or an innocent.
The 3 shot sounds extreme. It is not. 43 years ago, I was a Special Agent, US Army Intelligence. I was trained to shoot 2 shots to center mass and one to the head. This was only used in a clear lethal weapon situation where loss of life was a true and present danger.
It is truly sad that the young man lost his life. It is also truly sad for the LEO’s who took it. I pray for all.
Report Post »ashestoashes
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 3:11pmTwice in the chest and once in the back of the head..wow…I would hate to be the parents of that child..This is where I might say an eye for an eye. There has to be a better way of dealing with a child..like say an elephant tranquilizer gun..mace..whatever…but this was excessive and deadly force against a child…This gives the police force zero credibility!!!!! Stupid goons. And says that they aren’t smarter than an eighth grader..That kid knew that he didn’t have a real gun and it gave him a false sense of security..Like nothing is going to happen to me because this is not even a real gun…Twice in the chest and once inthe back of the head…..this is one instance in which I hope his parent sue the school and the police force. MORONS!!!!!!!!!!!
Report Post »Tsam
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 3:27pmSo because he “wasn’t innocent“ and ”lacked judgement” HE SHOULD DIE??
What’s wrong with some police these days? Can’t they diffuse conflicts and talk A KID down? Can’t they aim at legs or shoulders?
why 3 SHOTS ALL WITH ONE PURPOSE: KILLING HIM??
same thing goes for the cowards that taze old women…SICKENING.
Report Post »Plutos_Pal
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 4:18pm@Monicne
Report Post »First you ask that we hold off until we see the autopsy report and then proceed to slam the cops, even assuming that the shot to the head was done after the perpetrator was down any laying on the ground. You are showing your lack of knowledge of how the body can react when shot and how cops are trained to react to the threat of lethal force.
Wolf
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 4:25pmKnowing that he was carrying a pellet gun and the police were carrying real guns, and you say this kid lacked judgment, then go on to defend the cops?
Report Post »If anyone showed lack of judgment it was the cops, especially with more than one shooting. One cop, taking out the kid’s leg, would have ended the confrontation- and there was no one else in the hallway to be injured.
Big, brave cops hiding behind their badges and balistic vests and probably a bulletproof shield- and you say the kid lacked judgment.
Good call, ‘patriotmom’.
Barf.
Plutos_Pal
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 4:26pm@TCAM
“So because he “wasn’t innocent“ and ”lacked judgement” HE SHOULD DIE??
What’s wrong with some police these days? Can’t they diffuse conflicts and talk A KID down? Can’t they aim at legs or shoulders?
why 3 SHOTS ALL WITH ONE PURPOSE: KILLING HIM??”
Deserved to die? No. Few people deserve to die. But given his actions, anyone with a double digit IQ could have predicted the outcome. Point a weapon at a cop, get shot. Fairly predictable outcome.
Cops never shoot to wound. If the perpetrator needs to be shot, then lethal force is justified. Wounded gunman can still shoot back. Tasers and pepper spray do not reliably incapacitate, particularly if the subject is on drugs. To paraphrase an oft quoted movie line – ‘You don’t bring a taser (or pepper spray) to a gun fight.’
Police are generally willing to try to talk to a violent subject provided their lives are not in immediate danger. Cops, except for the stupid ones on television, don’t hold conversations with individuals who are pointing guns at them. This perpetrator was given ample opportunity to drop his weapon.
Report Post »FranciscoDAnconia
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 4:50pmSeriously? How can you people be happy that this kid got shot? Was he stupid? Yes. Naive? Yes. Did he deserve to die. No. This is a tragedy no matter how you look at it. Kids do stupid things all of the time. This tragedy was brought on by the kid no doubt about it. But its very very sad.
Report Post »jb.kibs
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 4:50pmwe have psycho police now a days. jack booted thugs is not even close to what they are today. they are all trigger happy, just wanting and waiting to shoot anyone they can…
the police are more dangerous than criminals now a days…
Report Post »ACLUHater
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 5:51pmPlease liberals – we were just spared the wrath of a future gang banger. He was a punk and the world is now a better place.
Report Post »pavepaws
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 6:11pmHeeeeeeere we gooooo. “He wasn’t going to hurt anybody, I can assure you. He would have never hurt anybody.” Hard thing to prove.
Report Post »Ramv36
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 6:24pm@Stoic One:
There is a possibility you’ve forgotten: what if this kid’s birthday was in late August or later? That would easily explain why he is 15 in 8th grade. That is what happened to me.
I never failed a grade or was held back, but I was nearly 19 when I graduated HS simply because of my late August birthday. See, school years start in mid-August most places, and most school districts have minimum age requirements to enroll, as did mine. The year I was supposed to start preschool, we discovered in the enrollment process that I would be 12 days too young at the cutoff date to start , so I had to wait another year before I could enroll. This made me one of the oldest kids in my grade for the next 12 years, which wasn’t a bad thing by any stretch.
So, before be channel Obama and say the kid was ‘stupidly’ overage for his grade without knowing or considering pertinent facts, let us check ourselves, lest we wreck ourselves.
Report Post »georgiavietvet
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 6:33pmPATRIOTMOM1776………………….the gun looks absolutely real. but this is going to end badly for the cops, because of the shot to the back of the head. the kid was an idiot. he should have complied with police orders, and he would still be alive. there will be a lawsuit by the parents, ruining the carreers of the cops. its all a shame, but the blame falls squarely on the head of the kid……………………………
Report Post »spasm
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 6:53pmHey guys guys guys guys guys, you, guys guys guys, everyone, everybody, anyone who knows how to read…… Cops do not use guns to wound people, fire warning shots, shot people in the arm, leg, butt, or anything other than to kill. Guns are used in Deadly Force situations. A 15 year old with a gun is as dangerous or more dangerous than an adult with a gun. If you value the other persons life more than your own then maybe you will not shoot when you have seconds to determine if there is a threat. I always love it when people say, why this, why that, why not maybe this was done? Hindsight is 20/20. Foresight at times depends upon limited information and human interpretation. The kid still had the option to put down the gun. Why didn’t he just put down the gun?
Report Post »spasm
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 7:01pmhey ASHESTOASHES.. What is excessive deadly force? More deadly force? Worst and even deadlier deadly force? Deadly force is just that, one shot to the head or fifty it all has the same result. That young man still had a choice and he chose wrong. It is sad, but no one asked him to not listen. He may have just been taught that way…
Report Post »quicker
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 8:54pmI`m so sick of people that have to Monday morning quarterback.If you have never been in that position then you have no idea of what your talking about.Do you know who I would blame for this And I do feel deep sorrow for their loss.His parents ,because if they had taught this child respect for people in charge this would not have happened.Yes it is a shame that a child died ,but if the parents had done their job this wouldn`t have happened.
Report Post »Bluedog78
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 9:27pmV_MAN is probably on a crack binge, he should have been all over this story yesterday!!
Report Post »chfields62
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 9:35pmThis kid knew exactly what he was doing…he knew what would happen if he pointed a gun at police and refused to drop it. It makes no difference if its real or not and that one looks real until you examine it very closely. This seems like another example of suicide by police. They are not to blame. Anyone who has any training in firearms knows you shoot to kill. As stated by others, wounding heightens the danger for everyone.I guarantee, each one of you whiney liberals if armed and faced with the same situation, would shoot first to protect your a$% or you would be dead.
Report Post »jdavis32
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 9:41pmpolice shoot to kill, that is what they are trained to do. Taking that extra few seconds to “aim” is what would get the police killed.
Report Post »Armyof One
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 9:49pmMoncine, people do strange things when shot. Standing erect and jerking like a movie extra, ain’t it.
Most likely the kid rotated as he was going down, taking a bullet that was fired to the front chest, into the back of the head.
This was a righteous shoot. No kid in the world today, does NOT know to stop what they are doing and comply when the police have guns drawn and are yelling at you.
I also never believe the “…he was a good kid, everyone loved him..” crap from family members. He punched a kid, then walked the halls with a gun, then pointed it at the Police. An actual good kid, would have never started the sequence of events in the first place.
Report Post »CynicalPatriot
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 10:15pmI’m one of the first to criticize cops when they behave badly, but anyone who is is against the cops THIS TIME is an idiot. From all the information we have, the cops acted appropriately, even the head shot. The idiot kid should have dropped it when he was told to.
Report Post »maccow
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 2:57amAll of you that think that “the cops are out of control” and “we live in a police state” and “they should have talked to this kid more” or “they should have wounded him” etc, you scare me far more than any police officer has. Your complete lack of understanding of tactical decision making based on training and well thought out scenarios need to get a clue. The police did exactly what their training required them to do for the exactly right reason.
Report Post »The outcome is tragic.
But all this over hyped anger and paranoid hysteria aimed at your fellow American citizens is playing directly into the hands of the media a political elites. As long as they can keep us at each other‘s throats we won’t muster the will to go after them.
But then I think a lot of you trolls on here know this. The same trolls spouting the same vitriol story after story. You can’t be fans of Glenn Beck, whose site this is, so you must be leftist troll plants just trying to stir the pot.
Maybe some of us true conservative, GB supporters can police a few of these trolls and point them out as they spout the same crap on every story. Eliaism and
maccow
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 3:02am(Continued)
Report Post »Eliasim and WakeupUSA2012 could be prime troll candidates. Though Eliasim is so off his medication on most of his rants as to be nearly unintelligible and therefore not an effective troll.
Just my view of things
Deuteronomy22
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 6:25amAfter Columbine I can see why the cops reacted the way they did. Hopefully they’ll be some surveilance tape. Video tape has shown the cops to be liars as well as backed them up.
Report Post »loriann12
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 6:55amIf he was such a good kid, why didn’t he put the gun down when the police told him to? If I was holding a cell phone and the police told me to put it down, thinking it was a gun, I would. When I got stopped for speeding (one time) I put my hands on the steering wheel and waited for the officer to reach my car door, keeping my hands totally visible.
Now that they have released the name, I’ll repeat my comment from the other article…..he may not have spoken English. Just because he’s in school, doesn‘t mean he doesn’t have bi-lingual teachers and never speaks English. I live in TX, near Dallas, and we have far more Mexicans and Latinos than whites.
Report Post »loriann12
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 7:02amFor all those who say the kid didn’t deserve to die: What would this thread sound like if the kid had opened fire with a real gun, killing the police and a bunch of kids around him? He was given an opportunity to put the weapon down and he refused. I hate that a kid died, but I’ve seen 15 year olds that look like grown men. I would rather they took out one kid than he takes out police and other kids. And before anyone says, what if this had been your kid….my kids know better than to 1. bring any weapon to school and 2. point it at anyone let alone a police officer.
Report Post »George Patton
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 9:09am@monicne….obviously monicne has never fired a gun before. Real life is not like the movies where you can hit a moving target with pinpoint accuracy. I highly doubt the cop was aiming for the head, because if he was he probably would have missed. Handguns are hard to shoot accurately in real world situations….they are hard to shoot accurately sitting on a bench at the shooting range. He didn’t shoot the kid in the head, he aimed for the chest and missed.
Report Post »MONICNE
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 2:48pmGeneral Patton, I qualified as an expert with S&W 1911 .45 ACP match grade for many years. I was also rated expert with the M14 rifle and the 20 gauge riot gun.
The first thing I wrote was, lets wait to see the autopsy report. That will have the trajectory, entry and exit points and range estimates. You can’t fake physics.
I have not made up my mind, as you apparently have.
TEA
Report Post »BIGJAYINPA
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:24amThis sounds suspiciously like “Suicide by Cop”. My condolances to his family on their loss. My deepest sympathies to the two Police Officers that shot him They will live with the fact that even though they did the right thing, they shot him over a pellet gun. And my most sincere contempt to anyone that uses this incident to further some agenda from demonizing the cops to making excuses for thugs and criminal behavior. The kid did a stupid thing, he died, end of story…..Just sayin’
Report Post »Eliasim
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:33amWell he certainly didn’t really intend to cause harm by bringing a pellet-gun. But by golly those police sure stopped an imminent threat, as they were dressed like terminator. If they weren‘t so thirsty to pull the trigger I’d say they might feel bad about the situation.
Report Post »Eliasim
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:36amIf you like justice, then you might fight a little comfort knowing that at some point in the future the police will be fighting well armed Chinese on the front lines, and then we will see how much they like the idea of pulling the trigger.
Report Post »SFsuper49er
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:37amVery well said… A terrible situation for all involved
Report Post »BIGJAYINPA
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 12:00pmIf it comes to the cops fighting any invader, be it Chinese, Muslim, Mexican whatever I will make sure they are not alone on the firing line. The rest of you can either join us or cower in your homes…….Just sayin’
Report Post »yougottabekidding
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 12:09pmEliasim
So moron this kid walks up to you and sticks this pellet gun in your face and says your dead. Besides defaecating all or your sanctimonious self, what would you do? Would it be call law enforcement and request they shoot him before he kills you?
Report Post »By the way pellet guns are not toys depending on the gun they have velocity of a 22, and depending on the shape of the projectile just as deadly
Dan_o
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 12:15pmEliasim, if you’re so dissatisfied with this country and believe the Chinese should come here to enact “justice”, why are you here? Don’t bother answering, I know why. You are a coward….a coward who pretends to know what it’s like to serve in a life threatening job and sits on a couch in hindsight handing out blame.
The mistake was made by the boy and sometimes mistakes have tragic consequences. I would have done the same if I happened upon that kid pointing a gun at me.
You need to grow up.
Report Post »Eliasim
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 12:59pmyougottabekidding,
Report Post »What would I do if someone stuck a gun in my face? I’d tell them about their father, and about why they are here at that very moment. But then again I’m not afraid of living as you are.
yougottabekidding
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 1:20pmEliasim
That says it all!
Report Post »Even God makes mistakes and you are one.
Favored93
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 1:36pmEliasim
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:33am
Well he certainly didn’t really intend to cause harm by bringing a pellet-gun. But by golly those police sure stopped an imminent threat, as they were dressed like terminator. If they weren‘t so thirsty to pull the trigger I’d say they might feel bad about the situation.
Report Post »………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Wow …. what an ignorant tool you are.
You think those cops were “thirsty to pull the trigger” on a 15 YEAR OLD KID!!!!!!!
What is wrong with you???????
Elena2010
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 2:03pm@elism – You obviously are ignorant abt police officers and protocol, and likely don’t know much abt human behavior. The vast majority of cops are honest and true to their calling. The very last thing they want is to kill – even a perp. When you are staring down the wrong end of a barrel, as they were, your first tht is abt going home to your family that night. The adrenalin pumps and you shoot. The kid was warned multiple times before shots were fired.
I pray for the officers and the Gonzalez family for their loss.
Teenagers are well known to make really lousy decisions. All the goodness in the world will not overcome one “aw s**t.” And that is what this incident is. One really humongous “aw s**t!”
Report Post »ashestoashes
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 3:23pm@BIGIAPA You say you will be right on the front lines helping the cops? A pollice officer that is on this site said the other day that if they got orders from the government to start killing citizens..that the police force would be much more llikely to oblige than the military..Cops don’t usually take kindly to citizens helping them..at least not the ones I have known..I believe they are taught to be suspicious of everyone,and especially someone with a gun..You didn’t see how that officer treated that guy with a license to carry a few months back did you? I don’t blame them as they their lives are in danger most of the time..Something else about them is they are encouraged to stick together and not have friends outside of their inner police circle.
Report Post »spasm
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 6:57pmASHESTOASHES
straight up horse crap. Thats all that needs to be said about that….
Report Post »Dismayed Veteran
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:23amThis makes this sad situation even sadder. The police acted appropriately. The young man was warned 3 times and pointed a handgun at police. From the picture, the pellet gun looks like a true semi-automatic pistol.
Report Post »huckfinn28
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 5:09pmThere is no such thing as Non-Lethal Weapons; they all have the potential of killing/destroying life. The term is Less- lethal. Also, your quote “There is no such thing as shooting to wound. That is TV.” Wrong again. There is, but not in this case. Another, “Most LEO don’t draw their weapon except at the range.” Did you know that when you have been pulled over with more than one person in your vehicle, that the officer possibly could have his weapon already drawn, just food for thought???
And this is where you contradict your self:
Report Post »“The 3 shot sounds extreme…I was trained to shoot 2 shots to center mass and one to the head. Obviously math is not your strong suit. Please stop embarrassing yourself, the intelligence community, US Army, the Military, and the knowledge of who might be reading double “o” stupid’s special agent blog on THE BLAZE. All I’m saying is “get your stuff straight, brah.”
Dismayed Veteran
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 4:17pmHuckFinn
My next door neighbor is a Nebraska State patrolman and a Lancaster County Sheriff’s Deputy lives across the street. Only the Deputy has drawn and used his gun. The point that I was trying to make was that most LEOs don’t get in frequent gun fights. Sorry I didn’t get normenclature of “Less Lethal”. I got that from TV. When I was in the Army our weapons were all lethal.
My math is not off. 2 shots to Center Mass and 1 shot to the head equals 3 shots. My sentence was meant to respond to those who thought 3 shots were extreme. I am guilty of poor sentence construction.
I hoped to make the point that it was not extreme. I was trying to point out that I was trained to shoot 3 shots. The Army trained me to shoot to kill. I guess LEO’s are trained to shoot to wound. I will ask my neighbors.
Last time I checked I was a member in good standing of MICA. I don’t think I embarrass the US Army or US Army Intelligence. I served with the 525th MI and the 115th MI.
If you were/are a 9666 (now 35E) or a 97B (now 35L), I would be happy to discuss my stupidity with you further. If you are not, the KMA.
Report Post »sWampy
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:19amOk, why in gods name does the government make manufactures put orange on barrels of air soft guns, and not bb pistols. Sure if they hit you in the eye, they might blind you but are hardly lethal weapons.
Report Post »booger71
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:37amActually a co2 pistol shooting .177 cal pellet with a fresh co2 cartridge can generate enough velocity to kill someone.
Report Post »sWampy
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 12:02pmIn extremely rare situations. You have to be practically point blank range, and hit just the right spot.
Report Post »diablosho
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 12:06pmI wish they would, so I could paint my .45ACP orange, and go anwhere unimpeded…
Report Post »musingattheruins
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 12:32pmLooks like this one to me:
http://www.pyramydair.com/s/m/Umarex_SA177_BB_Gun_Repeater/2045
It is not a pellet gun, it’s a BB gun, 410 fps. Definitively NON-lethal by any measure… unless you are a squirrel!
Report Post »MeteoricLimbo
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 1:24pmSwampy
Report Post »Why did the boy not drop the gun when told to do so by armed police officers? Why not paint the barrel of a real Glock Orange and commit crime? The coroners report and ensuing investigation may reveal more but I think Common Sense may be in order here. True the police did fire 3 shots, perhaps that was excessive but I was not there and it would surely bring to mind shades of Columbine for an officer I would think. Time will tell.
Dismayed Veteran
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 3:18pmTo MusingAtTheRuins
One of the comments on the link you provided is “I like that it looks just like a Glock”
Report Post »RepubliCorp
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 9:18amDid you ever here of a zip gun? In the good old days you could convert a toy gun to shoot a single .22
Report Post »Brents Torts
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:19amHey parents, you raised an idiot. Good job.
Report Post »Johnny Cocheroo
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 12:03pmWhy don’t you just go upstairs and tell them – or do they read the blaze too?
Report Post »Master_and_Commander
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:19amThe cops had no way of knowing, the gun looked real, the kid wouldn’t drop it, and who knows what other details there are to this story. Sad story, but the Police only did what anyone would have done in their shoes.
Now I’m waiting for all the nutcases to get on screaming ”Police abuse! Police abuse!”
Report Post »shayrific
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 3:11pmI would have to argue with you that the cops only did what anyone would so. Had I been in their shoes I may have tried the taser, concidering there was a almost 7 minute 911 call, the time that it took them to gather in front of the school and go in and in all that time he never used the gun, why would he start when he had several officers in his face holding real weapons, when he knew full well his wasn’t….. really are you telling me that in your right mind that you would have open fired not once but 3 times on a 15 year old that had not shot one single shot in at least 20 minutes of them knowing that he had the weapon? If you can say that than your children are ina world of hurt, if your child raises his hand to you do you beat him to a blood pulp because of what he could do?
Report Post »Bluedog78
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 9:15pm@SHAY, You clown! “I may have used the taser” Tasers have an ideal effective range of 5 to 12 feet. Thats an awful lot of ground to cover when there’s a crazy kid pointing a gun at you! I would love to try your method out on you. I’ll give you a taser and you walk up to me while I shoot you in the face with a pellet gun! And you would have the comfort of knowing before hand that it is just a pellet gun! And you better hope you don’t miss with one of the probes, because at that distance I know I won’t be missing! Shay, showing us that common sense isn’t!!
Report Post »David286 - FL
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:18amSounds like a suicide by cops.
Report Post »jdog777
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:18amWell…. let the lesson by taught. When an officer tells you to drop your gun (toy or otherwise), you better drop your weapon. In a school system, in which, authority is crippled by limiting punishments by liberal nuts and a trophy is handed to everyone… I am not surprised the kid didn’t drop his gun. He was probably thinking… “who the hell do you think you are talking to”.
Report Post »JLGunner
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:17amThe father says LE overreacted. This explains why he wasn’t aware of where his teenage son got the pistol. He’s just plain out of touch. This kid was no child and should know right from wrong. His parents failed him by letting him. No excuses dad, this is on you.
Report Post »GeorgeWashingtonslept here
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:16amI stand with the Police on this…………enough kids have been gunned down in schools…………too bad for this kid that he thought he was all that……………..now he is all dead.
Report Post »fertlmind
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:16amBan all pellet guns.
establish waiting periods
background checks
federal reporting for purchases of more than one pellet gun a month
manditory safety classes
registration of all pellet guns
limit the magazine size
mandatory sentences
grow the anti gun government
add a ‘P’ to the A.T.F. the A.T.F.P.
and prosecute the pellet gun manufactures until they close their doors
Thats the Obama way
Report Post »BIGJAYINPA
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:35amWhat makes you think they aren’t already doing this…..Just sayin’
Report Post »mrsalvage2
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:38amThat’s New Jersey
Report Post »ZAP
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:39amyou forgot ‘have D.O.J. sell them to mexican thugs
Report Post »gofigureinternational
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 12:22pmBetter include squirt guns/water pistols…Some of them are fairly menacing. It would be interesting to see a tox report on the blood. Unfortunate, but most parents believe their child is “good at heart” (including Jeffrey Dalmer’s at the time)! It is also easy for everyone to analyze a split second decision by police after the fact when there are hours available and no life potentially at risk.
Report Post »Mr.Fitnah
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 12:23pmP.a.T.F.
Report Post »justangry
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:15amWow. I hope the cops don’t struggle with too many demons as a result of this. A tough spot for them to be in for sure!
Report Post »Nemo13
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:14amGood job police! If people are too stupid to educate their kids NOT to bring ANY type of gun or weapon to school, they would remain alive. With the tragic events in the past, it is inexcusable for situations like this. Take’em out is just fine.
Report Post »TXPilot
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:13amI can’t really blame the police in this case, because thanks to our Federal Govt, and the border they refuse to allow us to secure, places like Brownsville have pretty much become part of Mexico. The standard of living is low, crime is rampant, and oh yeah, the cartels are moving in too. On the border, if you see someone pull a gun, there’s a really good chance they intend to use it, so the police have to act accordingly.
Report Post »Ruler4You
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:13amZero tolerance, means ‘0’ (as in NO) tolerance for guns in schools. Period. But if he had spoken the common language he may have understood when the police said: “drop the gun.” You can’t fix stupid.
Last week there was a story where a student ate a piece of pizza into a “similar shape” of a gun and the school ‘authorities’ wet their pants over it. Paranoia precedes insanity by only a slight margin.
Report Post »WiredRight
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:26am@RULER4YOU You’re forgetting he pointed that piece of pizza at other kids…
Report Post »larrylarrylarry
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:12amGood riddance to that garbage. Probably his family is gangster.
Report Post »shayrific
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 3:27pmwhat does his race have to do with what happened? really had he been white would you still feel the same way , you are so ignorant!
Report Post »momrules
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:12amA gun in the hands of a 15 year old is just as lethal as one in the hands of an adult. The parents are understandably upset and protective of their child but he had a gun. Not only did he have a gun but he brought it to school and refused police orders to put it down.
Report Post »The police acted appropiately in this instance.
skitrees
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:35am…AND, don’t forget this line: “The teen’s godmother, Norma Navarro, told the Herald he was a kind person and a good student.” – It might be prudent to point out that “kind” people don’t walk up and punch unsuspecting individuals in the face for no reason!
Sounds like suicide by police to me, the “boy” clearly had an agenda for that day.
Report Post »RepubliCorp
Posted on January 6, 2012 at 9:23amIf only we gave him more free stuff this wouldn’t of happen.
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:12amI have to say this much, if the teenager refused to drop any kind of weapon, and mind you the picture shown of the pellet gun looks like a true pistol, AND pointed it at the cops as if ready to shoot, then the officers did so in self-defense.
However this case should be investigated thouroughly beyond any possible doubt to solidly establish ALL facts across the board.
Also for anyone who will claim a 15 yr old with a pellet gun is incapable of being a threat to anyone I have to tell you this much from first hand experience – by the age of 15 I was able to bulls-eye moving targets (squirrel and rabbit – head shots) from over 50 meters with a pellet pistol or pellet rifle.
The sporting good store next to where I live called the Big Five has such air pistols and from a distance it is almost impossible at a glance to distinguish them from a regular pistol.
Report Post »Mateytwo Barreett
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:11amAAAALLLLL! Jesseeeeee!!!
Report Post »OOOUUHHH! don’t you love the anticpation of lawsuits in the morning!
nocalifornia
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:10amI think someone needs to ask the parents why their son did the following
1. Bring a weapon to school?
2. Why was he walking the halls with it?
3. Why did he point the weapon at the police?
4. Where did he get the weapon?
5. Are the parents going to pay for the counseling the officers will need because of their sons actions?
I would guess that this was a troubled kid who was a product of a dysfunctional family, and now that dysfunctional family will use this child’s death as a meal ticket.
Report Post »CatB
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:09amAnd the police were supposed to know this how? They tried to talk the kid into dropping the gun … hey parents why was your kid brandishing ANY weapon in a school? The parents are trying to pass the blame.
Report Post »Mateytwo Barreett
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:07amAAAhhhh! The smell of lawuits in the morning. Uh, 15 and an eigth grader? So- is this no child left behind or race to the top? I almost feel for the cops on this one- – - – Boy yall sure sending a different message- Get on the ground- or we put you under it! Al- Jessee!!!
Report Post »Detroit paperboy
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:07amMaybe he didnt understand ENGLISH… either way its too bad .
Report Post »Mateytwo Barreett
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:13amI bet in brownsvilole, TX _Muches policia hable espanol!!!!
Report Post »thekuligs
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:23amYou bet they do. My dad was from there originally, and one of his cousins was Sheriff of that county for a long time. I think you would be hardpressed to find a handfull of officers there that were not bilingual
Report Post »Tankboy2adfwd
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 9:31pmIf he did not understand ENGLISH, then he should have known sign language. When an officer is pointing a weapon at you and shouting, you should stop being a dumbass before you get shot. I feel sorry for the cops. They reacted according to their training which is designed to keep them alive in a dangerous situation. Police would like nothing better than to retire having never taken a human life. You folks out there who project your fear of the government onto the police need to remember that the police are not the government. They are human beings with families and a job which is a hell of allot harder that yours. Anyone with ANY level of empathy should be able to feel the pain those guys feel because of the senseless way the kid died at their hands, but they did what they had to do. If any of you out there can honestly say that if confronted with someone pointing a gun at you that you would try to shoot the gun out of their hand, pepper spray them, fire a warning shot, or any other nonsense…well, you better hope you are never put in that situation because you will be DEAD wrong.
Report Post »rock-n-roll-rebel
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:01amI sure am glad the police saved us from this menace (sarcasm).
Report Post »JLGunner
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:07amRead the kids facebook page. the kids are glad to be rid of him. Just remember, when it comes to firearms, there is no such thing as a “toy gun”.
Report Post »randy
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:13am“What happened was an injustice,” his mother Noralva Gonzalez said. “I know that my son wasn’t perfect, but he was a great kid.”
Yeah great F@#$ing kid…. The Police Officers told him to put the weapon down, he chose to ignore the request, he was shot dead. End of story….
Report Post »Mateytwo Barreett
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:14am@ gunner
Report Post »There are too toy guns- 9mm!
commonsenseguy
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:16am@ jlgunner, well put, if he had,showed and pretended it was real, then the police had no other choice,sad but true,
Report Post »JLGunner
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:19am@ mat lol, you got a point
Report Post »smithclar3nc3
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:28amThe police were put in a no win situation by this kid. Failure to react could have cost the life of an officer or a student in their mind. It’s not like the kid was holding a bright yellow squirt gun. I only hope the officer doesn’t beat himself up too bad. And the next kid with a pellet gun puts it down when an officer requests it.
Report Post »sawbuck
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:37amYeh…I’m not sure what was going though those police’s heads ?
Report Post »It’s not like we have punks, nut-jobs or “want-a-be-gang-thugs” shooting up schools , that gun looked nothing like a “real hand gun”. Maybe the kid didn’t know English . (sarcasm)
sawbuck
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 11:42amDuh…policemen’s
Report Post »Bluedog78
Posted on January 5, 2012 at 9:22pmThe only ones that got exactly what they wanted are the dead kid and the cop haters!!
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