Distressing moment deputy kills 15-year-old autistic boy charging him with gardening tool
A 15-year-old boy with autism was shot dead by a California sheriff’s deputy after charging at him with a long-bladed gardening tool, distressing bodycam video shows.
The officer-involved shooting was reported before 5 p.m. Saturday, after the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department received a 911 call about a domestic disturbance in Apple Valley, authorities said.
The caller reported that 15-year-old Ryan Gainer was attacking his sister and smashing up glass and doors at the family home.
The first deputy on the scene was confronted by the teen, described as being armed with a 5-foot-long garden tool “with a sharp bladed end.”
Body camera video released by the agency shows Gainer, dressed in a teal jumpsuit, bolting out of the house while clutching the tool in both hands and seemingly lunging at a deputy pointing a gun at him.
“Hey, get back! Get back, or you’re gonna get shot!” the deputy yells.
Officials said “the deputy retreated and Gainer chased the deputy in an attempt to assault him with the bladed end of the tool.”
The sheriff’s department stressed that the boy attacked the deputy “without provocation”
After Gainer allegedly ignored the deputy’s commands, the lawman opened fire and struck the teen.
Gainer was administered first aid and taken to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries.
Several neighbors told the Victorville Daily Press that Gainer was autistic and well-known in the community.
The sheriff’s department is continuing to investigate the shooting.
“Our social safety net for those experiencing mental illness needs to be strengthened,” Sheriff Shannon Dicus said in a statement.
“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.”
The sheriff defended the deputy’s actions, but called the decision to open fire “awful in terms of humanity.”
“Rapidly evolving, violent encounters are some of the most difficult, requiring split second decisions.” he said.
“I feel for both Ryan’s family and my deputies who will struggle with this for their entire lives.”
