By Jim Woods
The Columbus Dispatch
COLUMBUS, Ohio — City and police officials released the name of the police officer who shot a 13-year-old boy Wednesday night in the Olde Towne East neighborhood.
Tyree King, an 8th grader at Linden-McKinley STEM Academy, died at Nationwide Children’s Hospital around 8:22 p.m., roughly half an hour after police said he had been shot multiple times by officer Bryan Mason in an alley near East Capitol Street.
This morning, Columbus Police Chief Kim Jacobs gave the officer's name, adding “Officers at the scene were very disturbed about the fact that here we are at the this time of the night chasing armed 13-year-olds.”
Officers had initially been called to the area of East Broad and 18th streets on an armed robbery call, according to Sgt. Rich Weiner, spokesman for the Columbus Division of Police.
The robbery victim told officers several young men approached him, one with a gun, demanding money, police said.
Officers approached three males on nearby Hoffman Street, two of whom fled on foot to the alley off East Capitol Street, police said.
King, who was one of those fleeing, pulled what police later determined to be a BB gun with an attached laser sight from his waistband. An officer then shot King, police said.
The officer and the other man with King, 19-year-old Demetrius Braxton, were not injured.
Braxton told the Dispatch that he was with King and saw the shooting.
Braxton described King's gun as a BB gun that look like a real gun. He said there was a laser site under the gun barrel.
King wanted to rob someone for money, Braxton said. “I was in the situation,” he said. “We robbed somebody, the people I was with.”
Braxton said police started chasing them and they ran. “The cops said to get down. We got down but my friend (King) got up and ran.”
“He started to run. When he ran, the cops shot him.”
He said King was shot four to five times. “I didn’t think a cop would shoot. Why didn’t they tase him?” Braxton said.
Police said the young male who was with King was interviewed and released pending further investigation.
A man who lives in the area, Chris Naderer of Hoffman Avenue, said he was in his home when he heard someone knock down a gate in his backyard. He looked outside to see a police officer chasing two young men into an alley behind his home. He said he then heard three to five gunshots from the alley.
At City Hall today, Mayor Andrew J. Ginther, Jacobs and Public Safety Director Ned Pettus spoke about the shooting.
Ginther said King’s death and the fact he had such a weapon should be a wakeup call for the city. He urged calm and patience as police investigation and King’s family grieves.
“The loss of a young person is particularly difficult,” Ginther said. “As a mayor and a father, the loss of a 13-year-old in the city of Columbus is troubling.”
Jason Pappas, president of Fraternal Order of Police Capital City Lodge No. 9, was at the shooting scene Wednesday night and spoke with the officer involved.
“Officers do not have the luxury of knowing if it’s a real gun or not,” Pappas said. “So two young men who were suspects in this armed robbery separated and ran. One of them was ordered to show his hands and go to the ground, and he complied.”
Pappas said King did not comply with orders to show his hands, reached for a gun, and the officer was forced to shoot.
“If you just comply with their lawful orders, everything will come out OK,” Pappas said. “That is the message that needs to be heard. You have to comply with lawful orders of a police officer.”
Pappas said the officer involved in the shooting is regarded as a “really, really good officer.”
“It is a dangerous time to be a police officer,” Ginther said.
Jacobs would not comment on details of the shooting, maintaining that it was less than 24 hours since the incident and she was still gathering facts.
“We want to have all the need to have the right answers not quick answers,” she said.
Mason, 31, was hired in December of 2006.
He has been involved in several officer-involved shootings and this is the second time he has shot and killed someone.
Mason shot and killed John E. Kaufman in December of 2012 during a dispute between Kaufman and another man.
Kaufman refused police orders to drop his gun and was pointing it another man.
Mason was cleared of any wrongdoing in that shooting.
Columbus schools officials said counselors are available at Linden-McKinley for students today.
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