Autistic 15 Year Old, Ryan Gainer, Killed by Police Bodycam Released

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A family called for help with their autistic family member resulting in 15 year old Ryan Gainer being shot and killed by police.

Bodycam footage was released of the Apple Valley, California police shooting and ultimately killing 15 year old Ryan Gainer, who allegedly charged a deputy with a garden tool.  Not long after the release of the bodycam footage, Black Lives Matter released a statement.

Saturday police received a 911 call from Ryan Gainer’s sister stating Ryan Gainer was committing “assault and batter” and that he was banging on the door to the room she was trying to remain calm and get help.  When police arrived body camera footage shows the tragic and tense moments, which only last about seven seconds. As the deputy approached the home’s front door, they repeatedly asked, “Where’s he at?” Gainer then walks into the doorway of the home wielding, what authorities say was a 5-foot-long garden tool with a sharp-bladed end. The deputy can then be heard shouting, “Hey! Get back! You’re going to get shot!”  After that is when a second officer shot Ryan Gainer who later died at the hospital.

The Gainer family’s attorney, DeWitt M. Lacy, told PEOPLE that Gainer was autistic and “experienced some type of upsetting of his normal routine because he needed to do his chores.” 

The Sheriffs department issued a statement stating:

“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,” his statement said.  “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.”

Black Lives Matter released a statement on their social media stating:

Ryan Gainer was 15, had autism, and was shot and killed by the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department because he was holding a garden tool.  Murdering a 15 year old autistic Black boy, experiencing a crisis, is enraging and another example of a rotten system that must be dismantled. Black people with disabilities face compounded vulnerabilities when interacting with slave patrols aka the police. Ryan’s future was stolen from him. He deserved a system that recognized his humanity and offered support, not one that ended his life.

See the bodycam video and BLM official press release below.

Source: Radio One Digital

Autistic 15 Year Old, Ryan Gainer, Killed by Police Bodycam Released  was originally published on wzakcleveland.com