No charges have been pressed against a man who killed a 13-year-old boy, having caught him stealing from an unlocked car, St Louis police said.
The black teenager, Martinez Smith-Payne, was discovered unconscious and bleeding in a back alley by security forces in St. Louis, Missouri, in the wee hours of Sunday, AFP reported.
The 13-year-old died from his injuries in hospital. The shooter, a 60-year-old black man, was detained straightaway, but later police let him go after prosecutors “refused” to press charges.
“Investigation revealed the victim, along with two other juveniles, was attempting to steal items from an unlocked parked vehicle when the suspect confronted them, then fired shots at the juveniles,” St Louis police said in a statement.
Prosecutors called the boy’s death a “terrible tragedy”, but referred to Missouri legislation, according to which an owner has the right to protect his property. It remains unclear if the shooter was attacked or threatened by the teenager.
“We are reviewing the evidence, witness accounts and case law to ensure we are protecting the rights of both the victim and the homeowner. All individuals deserve a thoughtful review of the facts,” St Louis Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce said in a statement.
The local laws, like in many other US states, allow the use of lethal force if someone finds themselves in a dangerous situation.
Back in June, a local broadcaster reported a certain Martinez Smith-Payne missing. The boy, who lost four fingers during a fireworks incident when he was 10, suffered from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and bipolar disorder, and was found several days later. It was not immediately clear if the boy from that report is the same as the latest shooting victim.
Last year, the town of Ferguson, a St. Louis suburb, was shaken by the police shooting of an unarmed black teenager, 18-year-old Michael Brown, triggering months of protests all over the country.
https://www.rt.com/usa/324124-boy-shooting-charges-stealing/
It’s always a tragedy when a kid gets shot, but everyone knows what belongs to them and what doesn’t. When you decide to steal stuff, you also accept certain risks that go along with the crime. Being shot is one of them.
I can’t fault the kid, as I did quite a few things at that age that I’m not proud of (stealing was among them). I was never a monster, but I was one of those kids who’d sometimes do the wrong thing for a thrill. Our brains, including our sense of empathy and conscience, aren’t fully developed until later in life.
At the same time, I can’t really fault the shooter here without knowing more. I personally would not shoot anyone, let alone a child, over mere property unless it was critically important. But the shooter may have felt threatened when he confronted those kids, and he probably didn’t realize how young they were.
All in all, there were no winners here.
“All in all, there were no winners here.”
Except the NWO.
“The black teenager, Martinez Smith-Payne, was discovered unconscious and bleeding in a back alley by security forces…”
SECURITY FORCES???