FBI to investigate case of 13-year-old shot 7 times by police
The FBI has taken over an investigation where a 13-year-old boy was shot 7 times by police.
Andy Lopez was killed by a Northern California deputy while walking down the street with a pellet gun that looked like an assault rifle. Sheriff Steve Freitas plans to fully cooperate with federal investigators.
The shooting has generated numerous protests and marches in the suburban town of Santa Rosa, with many residents questioning the deputy’s decision to fire on the youth. Freitas also expressed sympathy to the Lopez family and thanked the Santa Rosa community for keeping protests peaceful. A timeline released Thursday by the Santa Rosa police shows that only 10 seconds passed from the moment that the sheriff’s deputy and his partner called dispatch to report a suspicious person to the moment they called back to say shots had been fired.
Santa Rosa’s police department said two officers in a squad car encountered Lopez, calling for him to drop the gun. The FBI has not released information on why they decided to get involved in the case.
Over 100 students lined up in front of City Hall on Friday demanding justice for the slain teen. It seems like we’re starting to see more and more instances of innocent people getting shot by police.
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