Police wound 13-year-old holding BB gun

Chicago police shot and wounded a 13-year-old boy who one official said was holding a BB gun, the second police-involved shooting of the night.

No officers were injured in the shooting at roughly 11 p.m. in the 1000 block of North Kedvale Avenue in the West Humboldt Park neighborhood on the West Side, authorities said. They said in a statement that officers responding to a call of "shots fired" approached the boy in the 4200 block of West Cortez Street to interview him because his description matched that of the gunman.

The boy, pistol in hand, ran from the officers and refused several orders to drop the weapon, said Patrick Camden, a spokesman for the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police
At least one of the officers opened fire, striking the boy when he pointed the gun toward officers, according to police and Camden.

The boy was taken to Stroger Hospital in serious to critical condition but his wounds weren't thought to be life-threatening, a Fire Department spokesman said. Police said a weapon was recovered.

Camden said the officers handled the shooting correctly, saying that everyone should immediately recognize an officer's order to drop their handgun. He added that BB guns and other replicas are often indistinguishable from real firearms, even to trained police officers.

"Drop your guns, put your hands up, that's it. It's not complicated," Camden said. "They insist on holding on to the gun and officer's not going to wait to see if you're going to shoot or not. If he's in fear of his life and has to defend himself, that's what he's going to do."
NOW READ THE STORY OF THE INNOCENT CHILD THAT THE MEDIA IS RUNNING WITH-
FROM THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE
HERE'S THE "INNOCENT CHILD SHOT BY BIG BAD POLICE" TRIBUNE PICTURE

AND STORY

His parents identified the boy as Jimmell Cannon. They said he is a "straight A, B student" about to enter 7th grade at Piccolo Specialty School and who was out last night to celebrate a cousin's birthday in a park area near the school.

Andrea McClay, who said she was among the group celebrating and saw the shooting, told WGN-TV that Jimmell "did not have a weapon in his hand of any sort. . .He didn't have anything in his hand."

She said his hands were in the air when he was shot eight times -- twice in the hand, twice in the shoulder and four times in the leg.

She called Jimmell "a 13-year-old innocent child just having fun in the park."

But the boy's mother, Kenyata Cannon, insisted her son didn't have a gun, BB or otherwise. She described him as "happy, playful, joyful kid" who never got into trouble.

Jimmell was with relatives and neighborhood children at a park on the grounds of Piccolo School, where the group celebrated another relative's birthday, according to Cannon.

"We all was just lingering together" at the park, she said.

"I'm speechless. That my son was shot, I'm just surprised," she said. "He's a kid, a happy, playful, joyful kid."

“I want justice to be served for my son’s well being.”

AND HERE'S THE INNOCENT CHILD THROWING UP GANG SIGNS