Police officers in Missouri are the subject of an investigation after shooting dead a 16-year-old boy on Wednesday.
The Blue Springs officers were responding to a burglary call when they came upon the teen.
The officers say the teen charged them with a weapon, forcing them to fire.
Police haven’t disclosed what type of weapon it was.
“It was a weapon that obviously can kill somebody,” Sgt. Bill Lowe, a spokesman for the Missouri Highway Patrol, which is in charge of the investigation, told the Kansas City Star.
“We have determined that this is possibly a suicide,” he added. “They had a call of a burglary in progress, and the individual that is deceased initiated the contact with them.”
One dead after officer-involved shooting in Blue Springs https://t.co/ParNYjvM7t via @MattWDAF pic.twitter.com/GXkI5LECcR
— FOX 4 News (@fox4kc) February 24, 2016
Sources told Fox4 that they believe the boy made the original 911 call about a prowler. Lowe said the investigation hasn’t determined whether that is true.
He also said that he wasn’t sure if the officers involved in the fatal shooting were wearing body cameras. Their guns have been confiscated as part of the investigation, and they have gone on paid leave.
Jackson County prosecutor Jean Peters Baker said the victim’s family is distraught.
“The victim’s family, they’re really struggling this morning with the news they received,” Baker said. “So, with that we just have to take one step forward and work through this investigation step by step.”
The teen hasn’t been named as of yet.
Neighbor Kevin Woods told KCTV that he was startled out of bed around 5 a.m. when he heard yelling and several gunshots outside of his house. When he looked outside, he saw officers surrounding the boy, who was lying in the middle of the street.
Baker said the officers tried to render aide to the boy but he ultimately died.
Woods said the teen was a good kid.
“I’ve known him probably ten years. My daughter is a year older than him. Very good friends. I can’t tell you how many times he spent the night at my house,” he said. “Very good kid, certainly would never … I just can’t even fathom. I’m completely baffled by what’s taken place out here.”
