The Roanoke County Police Department provided this picture of Kionte DeShaun Spencer walking near Walgreens on Friday, February 26, 2016.
ROANOKE CO., Va. – An 18-year-old high school student was shot and killed by Roanoke County police after a series of interactions that ended when police said the teen turned towards officers with a BB gun in his hand, according to affiliate WDBJ.
Authorities received a 911 call that a black male wearing a bandana and hoodie, and carrying a backpack, was also waving a gun in the parking lot.
Kionte DeShaun Spencer, 18, was walking northbound on Electric Road, toward a Walgreens, when police said they asked him to stop. Police said they then twice deployed their Tasers, but neither round was effective.
Based on the information they have now, the Roanoke County police chief said Spencer turned toward police, and the two officers then fired shots at him. The weapon was still in Spencer’s hand when he was shot, according to the preliminary investigation, WDBJ reports.
The two bullets hit Spencer once in the hip area and once in the collarbone.
The Roanoke County Police Department provided these pictures of the type of BB gun Kionte DeShaun Spencer was carrying when he was shot by Roanoke County police officers on Friday, Feb. 26, 2016.
The handgun that police recovered at the scene was a BB gun, which police said they were not aware of at that time.
Police also said the preliminary investigation showed that officers were following protocol.
Spencer died that night at a hospital. He was taken there within 15 minutes, which is a remarkable transport time in this situation, police said.
No one else was hurt.
The teen lived in a group home and was enrolled at Hidden Valley High School.
A medical examiner will perform an autopsy soon, and the investigation is underway. The officers involved have been placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure.
The Roanoke County Police Department provided this picture of Kionte DeShaun Spencer walking near Walgreens on Friday, February 26, 2016.
