13-year-old shot by school police officer

Cathy Scott

Monday, Jan. 26, 1998 | 1:49 a.m.

A 13-year-old boy was shot twice today by a Clark County School Police bike officer after the boy pointed a BB gun at officers, Metro Police said.

About 11:30 a.m., a motorist telephoned 911 to report a boy carrying a rifle on the sidewalk on Decatur Boulevard across the street from the Meadows Mall. A school police officer, whose name has not been released, heard the call and pedaled to the scene from Western High School a few blocks away, homicide Lt. Wayne Petersen said.

The boy was surrounded by police in front of Fasolini's Restaurant when he tracked officers with the lever-action BB gun, which to officers looked like a 30-31 rifle, Petersen said.

Josie Fasolini, owner of the family owned restaurant, said one of her waitresses was trapped outside. Inside, Fasolini said she could see the boy pointing the rifle at the officers.

"I looked out and saw a kid standing in front of the window," she said. "I though he was going to shoot it in here. It scared the wits out of me. We all ran to the back. The next thing I knew, shots were fired."

Four rounds were shot by the school police officer, who was the only one with a clear shot, Petersen said. The boy was hit twice, he said; once in the arm and once in the leg.

He was in fair condition today at University Medical Center.

It's not uncommon for school police to back up Metro officers, school police Sgt. Ken Young said.

Because the boy pointed the BB gun at the officers, "the officer used deadly force to neutralize the threat. The school officer had him in his sites and shot at him," Petersen said.

The officer was placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of Metro's investigation, Young said.