A Columbus Police Officer drew his sidearm on an 11-year-old boy with what turned out to be a BB gun. But the officer’s lecture to the boy is what is making national headlines.
Watch the body camera footage above.
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Columbus Police Officer Saves a Life
Officer Peter Casuccio of the Ohio-based Columbus Division of Police got a call for a “gun run” on Oct. 13 around 5:30 p.m.
Upon arriving, Casuccio saw two young men — ages 11 and 13 — as described on the call. He drew on the 11-year-old year with the gun.
Casuccio told the boy’s mother that the boy panicked and pulled the gun out of his waistband, then dropped it. As it hit the ground, that’s when Casuccio realized it was a BB gun.
Casuccio saw the incident as a valuable life lesson. He spoke to the boys and warned them how bad the situation could have been.
“I’ve been in the military. I’ve been overseas. I’m a police officer. I’ve had to do things that I hope your generation never has to do,” Casuccio says in the video. “Having said that, the last thing that I ever want to do is shoot an 11-year-old man.”
“I could have killed you. I want you to think about that tonight when you go to bed,” he continues. “You could be gone.”
Casuccio appeared on CNN Wednesday to further discuss the incident. Watch his interview below.