BALTIMORE, Aug. 13 (UPI) -- A 14-year old boy in Baltimore has been shot and killed by a police officer who had been called to the boy's home.
The Baltimore Sun reported that many police officers are defending the Saturday shooting as justified, saying the boy had hit the officer and had been threatening him with a jagged broom handle.
By late afternoon, the family of Kevin Cooper had reportedly hired an attorney who questioned the officer's decision.
The boy's mother, a correctional officer, had called police to her home at about 9:30 a.m., reporting that her son was assaulting her. Two officers responded, and one left after the situation appeared to be under control, the newspaper said.
However, the boy soon "became very agitated." After several attempts to quell the boy with mace, the officer allegedly then shot Cooper.
Many Baltimore police officers defended the shooting, saying Cooper had been taunting the officer involved. The shooting was reportedly the second fatal shooting by an officer in the city in just over a week.
Friends and neighbors of the youth said they would remember him as a respectful, friendly boy who enjoyed basketball.
