“There was a dispute that arose because he wanted to play video games, and he needed to do his chores, and he started acting out,” attorney DeWitt Lacy told ABC 7.
The family of a 15-year-old boy who was shot and killed by San Bernardino County deputies after running toward them with a garden tool says he suffered from autism, according to published reports.
On March 9, deputies were responding to an emergency report from the family of Ryan Gainer, 15, who said he was actively assaulting family members and damaging property, according to a statement by the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department. Gainer was armed with an approximately five-foot-long garden tool with "a sharp bladed end," authorities say.
“Without provocation, Gainer raised the bladed end of the tool and ran toward the deputy” and “chased the deputy in an attempt to assault him with the bladed end of the tool,” the statement said.
The deputy shot Gainer, according to the statement. Police rendered medical aid until paramedics arrived, the statement said. The 15-year-old was transported to a local hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.
The teen’s sister had called 911 telling operators that her brother was committing "assault and better" and was banging on the door to the room where she was "presumably" calling for help from, according to KTLA 5.
Gainer’s family told ABC 7 that the teen had autism and was acting out after a dispute over doing household chores.
“Ryan is a 15-year-old boy with autism, and sometimes in order to release stress or if he’s a little too worked up, he’ll go on a run,” attorney DeWitt Lacy told ABC 7. “When he came back there was a dispute that arose because he wanted to play video games, and he needed to do his chores, and he started acting out.”
A neighbor told the news outlet that he had never met the teen but he heard from others who live in the area that the teen suffered from autism.
The Sheriff’s Specialized Investigations Division is investigating the incident.
According to KTLA 5, Gainer’s family’s attorney alleges, “The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department is not telling the whole truth. These officers should be investigated and probably prosecuted for the murder of Ryan Gainer.”
San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus released a statement about the fatal shooting:
"Our social safety net for those experiencing mental illness needs to be strengthened. Our deputies handle seemingly insurmountable calls daily. Most of these calls do not end in violence. However, this one ended in tragedy for Ryan, his family, and for the deputies who responded. Rapidly evolving, violent encounters are some of the most difficult, requiring split second decisions. While these decisions are lawful, they are awful in terms of our humanity. I feel for both Ryan's family and my deputies who will struggle with this for their entire lives."
