Teen killed by San Diego officers left suicide note
Teen killed by San Diego officers left suicide note, A 15-year-old boy killed by police after pointing a BB gun at them wrote a suicide note indicating he planned to have officers shoot him, authorities said Monday.
Lt. Mike Holden said police found the suicide note in the Torrey Pine High School student's jacket and it indicated he planned to call police so he would be shot and killed.
Police say the boy called 911 at 3:27 a.m. Saturday to ask officers to check on the welfare of an unarmed boy in front of the school.
When two officers arrived, they spotted a youth in the front parking lot. As they got out of their patrol cars, he pulled a gun from his waistband and pointed it at an officer, police said.
The officers drew their guns and repeatedly ordered him to drop the weapon. But instead, he began to walk toward an officer, ignoring the orders, police said.
The department said in a statement that both officers feared for their safety and fired, hitting the teen several times. They performed first aid and called paramedics. The teen was pronounced dead at a hospital.
The gun was found to be a "semi-automatic BB air pistol," according to police.
Investigators determined the teen made the 911 call.
The officers, one a 28-year veteran of the San Diego department, and the other a four-year veteran, were wearing body cameras.
Police didn't release the teen's name because of his age. He lived with his family in the affluent neighborhood near the coast.
The San Dieguito Union High School District said in a statement that it was sending a crisis-response team to the campus Monday to support students, staff and parents.
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| Teen killed by San Diego officers left suicide note |
Superintendent Eric Dill said in a letter on the district's website that "our hearts go out to the student, his family, and his friends."
"This is a difficult time for the family and we need to let them mourn," Dill said in the letter.
Dill added that the district will strive to maintain the daily routine while offering support to people.
In October, police in South Los Angeles fatally shot a 16-year-old boy who pointed a fake gun at officers. The teen had used his cellphone to call 911 to report a man with a gun.
Police say it turned out to be a replica with an orange tip that had been painted black. The teen left a farewell note to his family.
This story corrects name of school district to San Dieguito Union High School District.
