Boy Suspended For Playing With Toy Gun-Police Escort Boy To Elementary School

clickondetroit.com ^

[chance33_98]

Boy Suspended For Playing With Toy Gun

Police Escort Boy To Elementary School

POSTED: 2:31 p.m. EDT August 28, 2003

A 7-year-old boy accused of pointing a toy gun at passing vehicles as he waited for the bus has been suspended from school.

Jackson police Sgt. Scott Rogers said he saw the boy playing with the gun at about 7:15 Wednesday morning. The gun was missing the orange cap on its barrel, which would have signified it was not real.

"It had the potential for a very bad outcome," Deputy Chief Matt Heins told The Jackson Citizen Patriot for a Wednesday story. "It looked like a very realistic gun."

Police took the boy to his elementary school, where he received a 10-day suspension, Heins said. A report also will be sent to the prosecutor's office.

[LooneyTick]

Oh for goodness sake!

[chance33_98]

Ping

[mhking]

Just damn.

If you want on the new list, FReepmail me. This IS a high-volume PING list...

[swarthyguy]

Safe now. Whew! Dodged a big one.

[RANGERAIRBORNE]

I suppose this will go on his PERMANENT RECORD...

Here's a little hint for the police- there are probably gangbangers carrying REAL guns within your jurisdiction.Why not go after them, and let the 7-year old's mother worry about him?

[Tai_Chung]

The boy was NOT on campus and he was NOT on the bus. His actions are of no concern to the school. He should not have been suspended.

[Damocles]

A report also will be sent to the prosecutor's office.

For what purpose?

[per loin]

Heroicly, the cop restrained his urge to draw and fire.

[swarthyguy]

Good thing there wasn't a dog with the boy.

[SJSAMPLE]

What a brave police officer!
I'm impressed that the officer resisted the urge to drop the child with a head-shot. He deserves a medal. And a promotion.

Another gang-banger off the street.

[babygene]

These people are idiots. How is playing with a toy gun more dangerous now than 50 years ago when I was that age?

IMHO the only danger now is that the kid might get shot by a cop...

[Liberal Classic]

What are the children learning when they see all the adults freaking out? I think the purpose of zero tolerance policies are to instill an irrational fear of weaponry.

[Sloth]

By what authority does the school discipline a student for actions taken off campus on his own time?

[Brian S]

Here is the local Jackson Citizen Patriot version with a bit more detail...




Boy, 7, suspended in toy gun incident


Wednesday, August 27, 2003

By Larry O'Connor
Staff Writer





A 7-year-old McCulloch Elementary School student has been suspended after he was seen pointing what turned out to be a toy gun at passing motorists this morning.

About 7:15 a.m., Jackson police Sgt. Scott Rogers spotted the boy with the toy gun at a bus stop near Patience-Montgomery Funeral Home on First and W. Wesley streets. The gun was missing the orange cap on the barrel, which would have denoted it was not real.

The boy didn't point the play gun at an officer, who questioned the child and his mother. The mother didn't understand the seriousness of the matter, police said.

"It had the potential for a very bad outcome," Deputy Chief Matt Heins said. "It looked like a very realistic gun."

Police took the boy to McCulloch School, where he received a 10-day suspension, Heins said.

A report also will be sent to the prosecutor's office, Heins said.

The boy will not be subject to an expulsion hearing, which is mandatory for students in the sixth grade and above when weapons violations are involved, a Jackson Public Schools spokeswoman said.

[Graybeard58]

"I suppose this will go on his PERMANENT RECORD"...

That brings back memories. The worst threat a teacher could use, was to put something on your permanent record.
I would love to see my permanent record. What with all those terrible incidents of gum chewing and talking in class it is a wonder that any employer would even consider the likes of me.
I am 58 years old now and retired so I can heave a sigh of relief that my employer over looked that horrid permanent record of mine.

[Joe Hadenuf]

Get out of Michigan fast.......

[eyespysomething]

I hope this policeman never drives past our house when the boys are outside. (He won't, I'm in GA, but hypothetically...)

You know, the orange caps on the ends pull off rather easy.

This is nuts.

[Abe Froman]

"It had the potential for a very bad outcome," Deputy Chief Matt Heins said. "It looked like a very realistic gun."


Yes, it could have fired imaginary, yet very realistic bullets........

It should be assumed that any gun being held by a 7-year old is a toy, unless proven otherwise.

[alloysteel]

This is just overreaction. Because child play with guns is shunned so severely, the fascination with guns only grows, much as total prohibition of any mention of drugs in normal conversation leads to curiosity and experimentation. Get the real gun in the kid's hands right away, as soon as he (or she) can hold them up sufficiently well to point at a target, and SUPERVISE the child at all times, explaining the serious nature of weapons. The reality of a weapon being fired takes away the fascination and romance pretty quickly. That is the moment to instill respect and caution about the weapon and its use. This is not a video game, real bullets that can do real damage come out of the end of the barrel.

Gun safety and weapons familiarity should be taught in schools right along with driver's education, and with the same basic lessons being instilled, that you are dealing with a DANGEROUS OBJECT, treat it accordingly.

Then nobody could claim they "didn't mean" to shoot another person. If they shoot somebody, it was on purpose, and darned sure had better be for a good reason, as there are severe penalties otherwise.

Perhaps the "penalties" thing is what some people don't understand.