Teen Killed by Officers After Calling 911 Left Suicide Note

Police believe he wanted to be shot and killed
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted May 8, 2017 5:02 PM CDT
Teen Killed by Officers After Calling 911 Left Suicide Note
Members of the San Diego Police Department collect evidence at the scene of a fatal police officer involved shooting of a 15-year-old boy in one of the parking lots in front of Torrey Pines High School, early Saturday morning.   (Howard Lipin/The San Diego Union-Tribune via AP)

A 15-year-old boy left a suicide note before he was killed by officers after pointing a BB gun at them in a San Diego high school parking lot in the dark over the weekend. Assistant Police Chief Brian Ahearn tells the AP that police found the note on the Torrey Pines High School student. "We believe that he called the police and pulled the gun on them so that he would be shot," Ahearn says. Lt. Mike Holden says police found the suicide note in the teen's jacket and it indicated he planned to call police so he would be shot and killed. The officers involved, one a 28-year veteran of the San Diego department and the other a four-year veteran, were wearing body cameras.

Police say the boy called 911 shortly before 3:30am Saturday to ask officers to check on the welfare of an unarmed boy in front of the school. When two officers arrived, they spotted a youth in the front parking lot. As they got out of their patrol cars, he pulled a gun from his waistband and pointed it at an officer, police say. The officers drew their guns and ordered him to drop the weapon. But instead he began to walk toward an officer, ignoring more demands to drop the weapon, police say. Both officers fired, hitting him several times. They performed first aid and called paramedics. The teen was pronounced dead at a hospital. The gun was found to be a BB air pistol. Investigators determined the teen made the 911 call. (More police shooting stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X