Mentally disabled man with toygun shot dead in Sweden

Spiritual_Chaos

Biggest news story in Sweden right now. Made me cry last night hearing about it.

Three police officers fired their weapons at a guy with Downs syndrome, who could barely say more words than "mommy",  who had escaped his home:

Police opened fire in the Vasastan district of the Swedish capital early on Thursday morning following what they described as a "threatening situation".

The man who was shot at was taken to hospital but later died, and on Thursday afternoon his family spoke to several Swedish media outlets to explain that he was a 20-year-old with Down Syndrome and autism who had left home with a toy gun.

On Friday morning chief prosecutor Tidén explained that a preliminary investigation has been launched to clear up exactly what happened.

"It has emerged that the object was some kind of toy. It has also emerged that more than one officer fired their service weapon," he said in a statement.

"It is routine to initiate a preliminary investigation when police use their service weapon against a person, but at present no police officers are suspected of any crime. The preliminary investigation is started in order for us to be able to take investigative measures."

Tidén added the the incident is "very tragic" and he understands that "many want answers quickly", but appealed for investigators to be allowed to carry out their work "methodically and thoroughly in the usual way", noting that there is no time scale and no further information will be released at present.

Stockholm's regional chief of police Ulf Johansson also commented on the incident for the first time on Friday, saying that "it is very tragic for everyone involved, and I understand and respect that what happened has caused a great feeling of upset".

https://www.thelocal.se/20180803/disabled-man-was-shot-at-by-more-than-one-police-officer-chief-prosecutor


Sixth person being shot dead by Police in Sweden this year - which is the highest number in history (Since keeping statistics).

Spiritual_Chaos

CNN also has reported

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/08/03/europe/down-syndrom-man-shot-dead-sweden-intl/index.html

cincybearcat

I feel bad for this family.  

I am tired however of hearing people ask why officers don't shoot the arm or leg....IF they believe they need to fire, this aint the movies, they are aiming at the biggest mass.  Also in the article she mentions it was obvious he had Down's and was like a 3 year old.  A 3 year old with a gun can do some damage (just see the US for this).

If this was in America I would know why it happened.  Because of our gun culture police are quick triggered.  And I think due to terrorism, every gets even more anxious when something like this is going on.  Any idea about the police culture in Sweden?  I always hear differently than this would make it seem.

josevolution

Heart braking really sad poor family to have to endure this after taking care of him for 20 yrs no one wins in this story , it’s not a time to blame but rather reflect ...

cincybearcat

josevolution said:

Heart braking really sad poor family to have to endure this after taking care of him for 20 yrs no one wins in this story , it’s not a time to blame but rather reflect ...

I never understand the blame game....BUT you have to investigate and determine what lead to the conclusion.  It's not "blaming" if its a true investigation with an eye to improvement.

Annafalk

This is really heartbreaking for everyone involved. Very unfortunate circumstances was leading in to this tragedy. A woman living in the same area had during the night called the police about her heavily violent ex. (Which was a well known criminal for the police) 
In the same area was also a 20 yr old man with Down syndrome that had run from home in the middle of the night carrying a toy machine gun. I feel very sad for everyone involved in this horrible shooting.

Thirty Bills Unpaid

Don't take this as blaming in any way, but I'm just not sure (in this day and age) that toy guns are the greatest idea. I certainly grew up with them and played with them as a child, but if I never had them... I would have played with other things and never miss a beat.

I don't know all the facts, but there have been recent stories of cops getting killed while exercising too much patience for the people they were pursuing (they're damned if they do and damned if they don't). I wouldn't be too quick to condemn the cop for his actions.

Spiritual_Chaos

Thirty Bills Unpaid said:

Don't take this as blaming in any way, but I'm just not sure (in this day and age) that toy guns are the greatest idea. I certainly grew up with them and played with them as a child, but if I never had them... I would have played with other things and never miss a beat.

I don't know all the facts, but there have been recent stories of cops getting killed while exercising too much patience for the people they were pursuing (they're damned if they do and damned if they don't). I wouldn't be too quick to condemn the cop for his actions.

I believe it was three cops shooting. One shot going through a window, which seems to go against protocol.

We'll see what the investigation says. 

Tragedy nonetheless. 

Thirty Bills Unpaid

Spiritual_Chaos said:

Thirty Bills Unpaid said:

Don't take this as blaming in any way, but I'm just not sure (in this day and age) that toy guns are the greatest idea. I certainly grew up with them and played with them as a child, but if I never had them... I would have played with other things and never miss a beat.

I don't know all the facts, but there have been recent stories of cops getting killed while exercising too much patience for the people they were pursuing (they're damned if they do and damned if they don't). I wouldn't be too quick to condemn the cop for his actions.

I believe it was three cops shooting. One shot going through a window, which seems to go against protocol.

We'll see what the investigation says. 

Tragedy nonetheless. 

Agreed. Awful.

brianlux

Thirty Bills Unpaid said:

Don't take this as blaming in any way, but I'm just not sure (in this day and age) that toy guns are the greatest idea. I certainly grew up with them and played with them as a child, but if I never had them... I would have played with other things and never miss a beat.

I don't know all the facts, but there have been recent stories of cops getting killed while exercising too much patience for the people they were pursuing (they're damned if they do and damned if they don't). I wouldn't be too quick to condemn the cop for his actions.

My thought exactly.  We weren't allowed to have toy guns when I was a kid.  I just don't think they're a good idea for any kid. 

unsung

Only government should have guns, right?

Just another example of police murder. 

Spiritual_Chaos

unsung said:

Only government should have guns, right?

Just another example of police murder. 

Meltdown99

I haven't seen the toy gun.  Some of those guns look real, especially from a distance.  Who thought it would be a good idea to give this individual a toy gun?  Hard to fault the police, especially the Swedish police ....

lastexitlondon

My kids have never had toy guns.  The more I think about toy guns the  more utterly  ridiculous the idea is. This story is tragic 

Spiritual_Chaos

"Three policemen shot 25 bullets against Eric Torell, 20, when shot dead at the beginning of August, according to Expressen.

Three shots met. The killing shot hit his back.

The information is confirmed by lawyer Thomas Nilsson.

The policemen claim that they killed Eric in self-defence.

The 20-year-old, with Down's syndrome, had that night escaped with a toy weapon."

"The investigation shows that the light conditions in the morning were good and that the faces and expressions of a person in the courtyard could be registred, even from a higher POV and from 20 meters away.

Eric Torell, 20, had Down's syndrome and could only say the word "mom". He was short, around 150 centimeters, wearing a black toy weapon missing some parts that he brought when he left his father's apartment in the middle of the night."

Meltdown99

So what's going to happen to the cops?  25 shots?  That's just crazy?

PJ_Soul

lastexitlondon said:

My kids have never had toy guns.  The more I think about toy guns the  more utterly  ridiculous the idea is. This story is tragic 

Anything other than a Nerf gun or a Super Soaker seems completely unacceptable to me.

dankind

We have Fart Blasters in our household. Those things are a hoot.

cincybearcat

dankind said:

We have Fart Blasters in our household. Those things are a hoot.

Do they have specialized Fart Blasters?

Silent But deadly
wet one
etc?

Spiritual_Chaos

Meltdown99 said:

So what's going to happen to the cops?  25 shots?  That's just crazy?

The investigation is not finished yet.

dankind

cincybearcat said:

dankind said:

We have Fart Blasters in our household. Those things are a hoot.

Do they have specialized Fart Blasters?

Silent But deadly
wet one
etc?

No, but you can set it to go off in something like 20 or 30 seconds. So you do that and then sneak it under someone's chair at dinner or next to the dog's crate. It's never not funny. Especially the dog. Dumb dog.

Spiritual_Chaos

Investigation finished.

Google translate:

Three police officers are charged - two for misconduct and one for causing another's death

Swedish newspaper Expressen has seen the plaint/lawsuit application: One police is prosecuted for causing another's death, the other two for misconduct.

"When Eric Torell, in a subsequent stage, turned his back on the police, NN, without any longer being entitled to emergency protection, has fired a shot that hit Eric Torell in the back and caused his death," the lawsuit claims.

It has previously been known that four police officers have been investigated. In addition to the three police officers who were at the scene, a police sergeant has also been included in the preliminary investigation.

The female police who were at the scene in connection with the shooting have during the investigation been dismissed from suspicions. The other three - all men - have remained. It is the three who have been charged.

mickeyrat

Spiritual_Chaos said:

Investigation finished.

Google translate:

Three police officers are charged - two for misconduct and one for causing another's death

Swedish newspaper Expressen has seen the plaint/lawsuit application: One police is prosecuted for causing another's death, the other two for misconduct.

"When Eric Torell, in a subsequent stage, turned his back on the police, NN, without any longer being entitled to emergency protection, has fired a shot that hit Eric Torell in the back and caused his death," the lawsuit claims.

It has previously been known that four police officers have been investigated. In addition to the three police officers who were at the scene, a police sergeant has also been included in the preliminary investigation.

The female police who were at the scene in connection with the shooting have during the investigation been dismissed from suspicions. The other three - all men - have remained. It is the three who have been charged.

huh. so thats what accountability looks like. hope it brings some measure of solace to his family.

cincybearcat

When I saw the title I was worried about our friend Spiritual...then I saw he posted it.


I keed.

Based in what you know of the case, did the outcome make sense Spiritual?

Spiritual_Chaos

cincybearcat said:

When I saw the title I was worried about our friend Spiritual...then I saw he posted it.


I keed.

Based in what you know of the case, did the outcome make sense Spiritual?

I don't know enough about it. But, colored by the US maybe, I thought they would get off scott free. Now at least there will be a trial. So, we'll see.

Meltdown99

Spiritual_Chaos said:

cincybearcat said:

When I saw the title I was worried about our friend Spiritual...then I saw he posted it.


I keed.

Based in what you know of the case, did the outcome make sense Spiritual?

I don't know enough about it. But, colored by the US maybe, I thought they would get off scott free. Now at least there will be a trial. So, we'll see.

Would you know if the police released an image of the toy gun...some toy guns looks awfully real?

Spiritual_Chaos

Meltdown99 said:

Spiritual_Chaos said:

cincybearcat said:

When I saw the title I was worried about our friend Spiritual...then I saw he posted it.


I keed.

Based in what you know of the case, did the outcome make sense Spiritual?

I don't know enough about it. But, colored by the US maybe, I thought they would get off scott free. Now at least there will be a trial. So, we'll see.

Would you know if the police released an image of the toy gun...some toy guns looks awfully real?

Yes. In the article. Give me a second.

Spiritual_Chaos

Meltdown99

Spiritual_Chaos said:

I am no gun expert...but I'm guessing they might have a strong defence that the gun is very real like.  But that would also depend on how far away when the victim was shot.  Seems like a tragedy all around.  

Spiritual_Chaos

Meltdown99 said:

Spiritual_Chaos said:

I am no gun expert...but I'm guessing they might have a strong defence that the gun is very real like.  But that would also depend on how far away when the victim was shot.  Seems like a tragedy all around.  

The police officer being charged with manslaughter got charged with that because he shot when the victim was turned with his back against them moving away.

Meltdown99

Spiritual_Chaos said:

Meltdown99 said:

Spiritual_Chaos said:

I am no gun expert...but I'm guessing they might have a strong defence that the gun is very real like.  But that would also depend on how far away when the victim was shot.  Seems like a tragedy all around.  

The police officer being charged with manslaughter got charged with that because he shot when the victim was turned with his back against them moving away.

That changes everything.