A Maryland state police officer shot and killed a 16-year-old boy after the teenager marked him with a toy gun, as it later became known, and then pulled a knife against him, police said.
Police are investigating the incident, which happened yesterday at around 1.30pm in Leonardown, southern Maryland.
“There are a lot of questions that we do not have the answers to at this point,” State Police Chief Woodrow Jones told a news conference yesterday.
The police officer, whose name has not been released, had responded to two calls about a “young man moving suspiciously” in a neighborhood and was probably armed. He found the teenager in the alley of an apartment “standing as if preparing to shoot and point a gun at a police officer,” Jones described.
“The policeman shot the young man, injuring him,” he added.
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The teenager, identified as 16-year-old Peyton Hamm, who lived a few houses away, then pulled out a knife, the officer said.
“The policeman ordered him to throw the knife before firing again.”
The 16-year-old was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to the state police chief.
The researchers later found that the teenager had a toy gun with him, an exact replica of a real weapon, which Jones described as “a replica that looked like a real weapon.”
Following the police protocol, an investigation has been launched into the incident and its results will be submitted to the St. Mary County Attorney’s Office in order to decide whether to prosecute.
The policeman, who has been serving in the body for 2 years and 7 months, has been made available. He expressed his condolences to the family of the victim.
“Any loss of life is a tragedy. “I can not even comprehend how sad this can be,” Jones said.
