An autistic boy was shot dead by police in California after he ran towards them with a bladed gardening tool, according to officials.
Harrowing bodycam footage shows the moment Ryan Gainer, 15, runs out of his Apple Valley in San Bernardino county on Saturday and towards the deputies.
A deputy is heard saying, ‘Hey get back! Get back or you’re gonna get shot,’ before opening fire.
Police showed up at his home after receiving a 911 call reporting the teen was assaulting family members and damaging property, as reported by KTLA.
According to an official report, Gainer charged at the officers with the five-foot-long gardening tool as soon as they arrived.
Harrowing bodycam footage shows the moment Ryan Gainer, 15, runs out of his Apple Valley in San Bernardino county on Saturday
A deputy is heard saying, ‘Hey get back! Get back or you’re gonna get shot,’ before opening fire
A deputy said he tried to get away but opened fire after the teen chased after him.
‘Without provocation, Gainer raised the bladed end of the tool and ran toward the deputy,’ the release stated.
‘The deputy retreated, and Gainer chased the deputy in an attempt to assault him with the bladed end of the tool.’
Officers provided medical aid until paramedics arrived, but the teen was later declared dead at the hospital.
No deputies were injured in the incident, which is under investigation by the police department’s specialized investigations division.
During the 911 call, Gainer’s sister reported that he was attacking one of their siblings and trying to break a window and door.
He is heard yelling in the background of the call, according to The Guardian.
She tells the dispatcher: ‘They gotta take him in.’
At one point in the five-minute call, she said: ‘He’s talking to my dad right now. He said he’s going to run away and then he came back to the house.’
She also said that he had a piece of glass.
A lawyer for the family said Gainer was a cross-country runner and wanted to become an engineer.
DeWitt Lacy, a civil rights lawyer representing the family, said: ‘There are great questions as to whether it was appropriate to use deadly force against a 15-year-old autistic kid who was having an episode.’
Ryan Gainer is seen in an undated photo
Lacy claimed it appeared that Gainer was hit with three bullets, including in his torso and abdomen.
The family alleges that deputies delayed helping Gainer after he was shot.
Lacy said: ‘They have to give medical aid to this 15-year-old they just shot and it certainly seems they failed to do that.’
The family claimed that following the shooting they were forced to leave their home while cops ‘rummaged through their house looking for any justification for shooting and killing Ryan.’
In a statement Sheriff Shannon Dicus said: ‘Our social safety net for those experiencing mental illness needs to be strengthened.
‘Our deputies handle seemingly insurmountable calls daily. Most of these calls do not end in violence. However, this one ended in tragedy for Ryan, his family, and for the deputies who responded.
‘Rapidly evolving, violent encounters are some of the most difficult, requiring split second decisions. While these decisions are lawful, they are awful in terms of our humanity. I feel for both Ryan’s family and my deputies who will struggle with this for their entire lives.’