Police Fatally Shoot Ohio Man In Walmart Over Fake Gun In Toy Section, ‘It’s Not Real’
An Ohio man was shot dead by the police at a Walmart store in Beavercreek while holding a toy gun. John Crawford’s relatives say they’ve contacted civil rights organizations because they believe the shooting was not justified.
22-year-old Crawford was identified as the man Beavercreek police shot and killed Tuesday night.
According to LeeCee Johnson, the mother of Crawford’s children, she was on a cell phone call with Crawford when he was shot by officers. She said Crawford went to the area to visit family members.
“We was just talking. He said he was at the video games playing videos and he went over there by the toy section where the toy guns were. And the next thing I know, he said ‘It’s not real,’ and the police start shooting and they said ‘Get on the ground,’ but he was already on the ground because they had shot him,” she said, adding: “And I could hear him just crying and screaming. I feel like they shot him down like he was not even human.”
Beavercreek Police Chief Dennis Evers said officers acted appropriately.
According to the Dayton Daily News, Johnson said she has two children with Crawford: John Crawford IV, who is 1, and Jayden Crawford, who is 4 months old. She just found out she is pregnant with a third child, but never got the chance to tell Crawford.
“He had a lot of family members that cared about him, and his kids. They’re not going to be able to know their dad. They’re too young — only 4 months and a year old — to even know how wonderful he was to them,” she said.
“I hope the police get fired and sent to jail, because (the officer who fired) didn’t do his job. He didn’t treat him like a human being. He didn’t treat him someone at Walmart looking at toy guns,” she said.
Lamon Brown, Crawford’s cousin, spoke on behalf of the family and said the family has contacted the NAACP and National Action Network.
“He does not own (a rifle-like weapon). We think it was a toy,” Brown said. “We actually think it was a toy. After these things happen they usually report what kind of gun it was, but they’re not saying what kind of gun it was.”
Tasha Thomas, who identified herself as Crawford’s girlfriend, said she drove him to the Walmart after picking him up at an outlet mall in Cincinnati. She said she was with him in the store and he was not armed.
“He did not have any type of gun on him,” she said. “It’s not fair.”
Watch courtesy of the Dayton Daily News:
Some of the comments under the article on the Dayton Daily News are rather telling. Most seem to think he deserved it, although, those same people would probably be stomping their feet if an Open Carry activist was shot down inside the store while holding an actual gun.
H/T: My buddy @TomCinmidlife with thanks.
bob barker August 8th, 2014 at 9:39 am
niggs don’t really have a chance with all these white pointy dunces. i bet those cops go to confession then thats all that will happen.
Tommy6860 August 8th, 2014 at 9:47 am
I read those comments and they mostly wrong the victim for the color of his skin, guilty for being black. These idiots are sad people, and they make me more sad as story already did :(.
Anomaly 100 August 8th, 2014 at 10:12 am
Here’s one:
“And kudos to the Beavercreek police for nuetralizing the threat.
Now the Ohio tax payer doesn’t have to spend millions of dollars trying and then incarcerating this numskull.
As far as involvement by the NAALCP. They as well as they’re partners Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton are nothing but race baiters. They’ll seize the moment to keep they’re faces in front of the camera trying desperatly to make themselves relavant.”
[sic]
Tommy6860 August 8th, 2014 at 10:16 am
Ahh, more white victimization. Poor bastards, being at such a disadvantage being white and all. Thnx for removing the previous post. Any term alluding to the “N” word really stabs at me, I despise that word with a passion.
Anomaly 100 August 8th, 2014 at 10:22 am
I’ve gone a lifetime without ever feeling compelled to use that word. Commenters should be able to refrain from using it for a few minutes in a comment thread.
madashellnow August 8th, 2014 at 1:42 pm
Take your ‘N’ word concern to the rappers that use it all the time. Maybe you can do some good there.
Roctuna August 8th, 2014 at 10:02 am
That story in the Dayton Daily News seems to be replacing an earlier story that contained statements from the person who called 911 and the cop who shot Mr. Crawford. Was that story scrubbed? It looks like there’s some serious CYA going on here.
greenfloyd August 8th, 2014 at 10:48 pm
I agree, everyone seems to be getting lawyer’d-up, planning to sue, and Crawford’s body isn’t even cold yet.
Indeed this is a sad, tragic story all the way around, for everyone involved:
the dead man Crawford of course, the woman who died in the panic, the cops and the several witnesses who claimed – in the original story – Mr. Crawford was holding what they thought was a real gun and pointing it at people, even kids, acting like he was about to fire.
Jane Franklin August 8th, 2014 at 10:31 am
Funny how open carry seems to only be legal for white people. They can go into a store and carry real guns to frighten people. This poor young man couldn’t even pick up a toy gun without being shot. How heinous the far right media is for instilling fear into the simple minded idiots who are afraid of minorities for knocking on their doors seeking help after an accident, for walking down a street or for just generally being black. What a cowardly group of people conservatives are.
tiredoftea August 8th, 2014 at 1:16 pm
Yeah, so much for Open Carry diversity.
Abby Normal August 8th, 2014 at 10:34 am
“Beavercreek Police Chief Dennis Evers said officers acted appropriately.”
Of course they acted appropriately. Mr. Crawford asked for it, picking up a toy gun in the toy department of Walmart. What did he expect to happen?: To make matters worse, he probably had a bag of Skittles and an iced tea with him at the time.
A bunch of white open carry lunatics could have been walking around that same Walmart with AR-15s slung over their shoulders and there would have been no problem. But a black man picks up a toy gun in the toy department and . . . . .
arc99 August 8th, 2014 at 10:42 am
Racism is alive and well in this country, and I for one am damn sick and tired of 2nd amendment fetishists and right wingers in general trying to pretend it is not.
Where are all the gun worshipers? Why are you not defending the rights of this dead black man?
I am not the type of person who hopes for the death of anyone. But I am tired of the head-up-your a$$ denial displayed by right wingers when it comes to issues of race in this country. if one of these days, some Open Carry jerk is shot by law enforcement, I am going to laugh my a$$ off. Maybe I will post a comment or two pointing out how it saved society so much money not having to prosecute and incarcerate the dead man. Let’s see how you like it.
Some people in this forum may wonder from time to time, why I have such a dislike for right-wingers. This story, their hypocrisy and their complete lack of concern for a dead black man are a prime demonstration of why.
Suzanne McFly August 8th, 2014 at 11:27 am
I never would question your dislike for rwnj’s in fact, I share your dislike for rwnj’s.
greenfloyd August 8th, 2014 at 11:56 pm
Before Anomly100, the WHIO title was: UPDATE: Walmart sticks to policy on air guns. The OP appears to be spinning.
I have gone over all the material on this, several times, and see no indication race played any role. As for your “right-wingers” fetish, well, good-luck with that.
arc99 August 9th, 2014 at 3:44 am
I could care less what you do and do not see. You are entitled to your opinion. By the same token, a woman is entitled to hold the opinion that it really doesn’t hurt all that much when a man is kicked in the groin. We decide for ourselves who has credibility on any given issue.
If the the contrast between the nonsensical hysteria about two black guys standing in front of a polling place in 2008 carrying nothing but billy clubs, and the support expressed for gun-toting “patriots” in front of a polling place just a few weeks ago, does not improve your vision, certainly nothing I write will do so either.
greenfloyd August 10th, 2014 at 12:09 am
Then why even reply? I think you do care what I “see.” Thank you.
Besides it gives us a chance to prove Holder wrong, we’re not afraid to talk about race.
Nonetheless, I still see no connection to this horrible event at the Ohio Walmart and racism. You suggested racism was involved and Anomaly100 added the open carry commentary, after altering the original title, :Walmart sticks to policy on air guns.
Now that’s something I do find outrageous, and worthy of our collective condemnation. Unfortunately it has been obscured by the OP, and anyone else who has actually read the first and second articles out of Ohio and yet remains mum. America’s biggest retailer (and probably others) selling “air guns” that look so much like the real thing even experts (including cops) have difficulty distinguishing. And for a real ball-bashing kick to the groan of common sense, Walmart will continue to leave these things on the shelf where anyone can have at it. Boggles the mind, doesn’t it?
Kevin Murphy August 10th, 2014 at 1:08 am
Thank you, I live in Fla. w/ Stand Your Ground and can not wait until one of these Open Carry nuts gets 2nd Amended after someone Stands Their Ground after being scared. Time for the Darwin Awards to be handed out…
John_St_John August 8th, 2014 at 11:48 am
Let’s call it what it is, that man was horribly butchered because a racist scum sucker took it upon himself to lie to 911 operators about the victim of this horrific crime.
MIAtheistGal August 8th, 2014 at 12:28 pm
He made one fatal error: shopping for a toy gun while black. What a crock!
fahvel August 8th, 2014 at 1:04 pm
it’s called homicide.
madashellnow August 8th, 2014 at 1:36 pm
Maybe we should wait for all the facts to come out before we:
1) Condemn the police.
2) Say the shooting was racial.
I doubt it was the fault of the gun that he got killed. If there is an error, it was in the fault of the person holding the gun.
There certainly is not enough definitive information in the article or the news report to draw any conclusions.
JMax August 8th, 2014 at 1:47 pm
Huh? “There certainly is not enough definitive information in the article or the news report to draw any conclusions.”
Until you do? “It was in the fault of the person holding the gun.” What gun?
“Maybe we should wait for all the facts to come out”. Ya think?
shifafa August 8th, 2014 at 3:52 pm
Yet you feel informed enough to “draw conclusions?” Just WTF do you think you are, baggs?
Rusty Shackleford August 8th, 2014 at 4:59 pm
I call it basic pattern recognition. I bet you almost every single one of those results you get on the first page are from entirely separate incidents.
Ole Buck August 8th, 2014 at 10:59 pm
Who on this site needs facts? The dude was black and oppressed. the pigs that shot him were white. They also were unwilling to to wait for him to fire the first shot.
ChrisVosburg August 8th, 2014 at 2:17 pm
WHIO (get it?) of Dayton followed up on the story this morning. Some salient points:
* Attorney General Mike DeWine says the weapon was an MK-177 (.177 caliber) BB/Pellet Rifle, manufactured by Crosman. It is known as a “variable pump air rifle.”
* A check of the Beavercreek Walmart (by crack WHIO reporters) on Wednesday showed it doesn’t have toy guns in the toy section, but does have real guns in glass cases and realistic-looking BB guns in the sporting goods section, including one BB gun box that was open.
* The coppers were there in response to a 911 call about a guy wandering around the pet supplies section with a gun, and pointing it at a coupla kids.
* LeeCee Johnson, the mother of Crawford’s kids, says he didn’t have any weapon on him when she dropped him off at the Walmart.
mea_mark August 8th, 2014 at 3:25 pm
I hope they release some of the store video. I sure would like to know how he was acting prior to the incident. It sure sounds like he was around the store with the pellet gun and a lot that should be visible. Was he playing around with some kids? Was he just being dumb? The video should shed some good clues.
labman57 August 8th, 2014 at 2:28 pm
A white man blatantly brandishing a loaded Bushmaster rifle in a busy retail establishment = “a patriot fighting for his Second Amendment rights”
A person of color holding a toy gun … In the toy section of the same store = “someone who is clearly up to no good — shoot him first, ask questions much later”.
GunTotingLib August 8th, 2014 at 3:11 pm
Nicely summed up.
Kevin Murphy August 10th, 2014 at 1:00 am
It makes you wonder how many people would support the 2nd Amendment rights if all minorities decided to arm them selves w/ automatic weapons?
Everyone is aware that the scare tactics that the NRA & the GOP pushed when President Obama was elected has skyrocketed gun sales even though the only laws he passed was to ALLOW guns in National Parks.
Kato August 8th, 2014 at 7:05 pm
He picked up a gun in the toy section and was shot to death because of it. After they shooting him to death they tell him to get on the ground. That was no accident that was murder.
Kato August 8th, 2014 at 7:23 pm
He
picked up a gun in the toy section and was shot to death because of it.
After they shooting him to death they tell him to get on the ground.
That was no accident that was murder.
mcalleyboy August 8th, 2014 at 9:03 pm
Nicely crafted story, man who is a shacker, shacks up with his love interest and has several kids, girl friend and welfare recipient drops no load off at Walmart and slacker starts acting like a child waving a toy gun around, police waste bullets on toad.
whatthe46 August 8th, 2014 at 9:26 pm
are you suggesting that he deserved to be murdered?
mcalleyboy August 9th, 2014 at 1:33 am
He didn’t deserve to die but the story shouldn’t have made the news his life seems to be bent on debauchery, should have been in the funeral section, accidents happen.
whatthe46 August 9th, 2014 at 3:14 am
you sad sorry piece of wasted flesh. a man is dead. and for what? explain that? so, no one should be aware that a man, who did no wrong, killed, no, murdered by the police, deserves no attention? just bury him and be done with it? really? wow. running a red light is considered an accident, if you hit someone. dropping a glass plate on a floor, accident. shooting someone who is doing nothing wrong, IS NOT AN ACCIDENT. you don’t accidently point a gun at someone and pull the trigger. if that’s the case. then these “officers” need to lose their badge. GOD forbid they accidently murder your child.
mcalleyboy August 9th, 2014 at 10:27 pm
My basic reply was that he’s not news worthy, police action can’t be faulted here. Is he an adult, “Yes”, IAW story he has several kids, whats he doing acting like he has a weapon in a crowded department store, gaming section, actually do we really know the other side to this story it sounds one sided, lets hear what the police have to say about rasta man…sometimes we just do ourselves in and it’s not worth making headlines, you can’t change idiots or lackluster, lackadaisical people, they end up statistics on some government chart.
ecotoper August 10th, 2014 at 4:50 am
You are obviously disgusted by this man because of his lifestyle, and because he is black. I suppose it rounds out the discussion to get the viewpoint of an unabashed racist … thanks so much for your comprehensive input on this tragic event.
mcalleyboy August 10th, 2014 at 5:19 am
Tragic event is when a child is murdered.
whatthe46 August 10th, 2014 at 7:49 pm
he is someones child. guess that part goes out the window eh?
mcalleyboy August 10th, 2014 at 8:23 pm
He sure is….lol.
whatthe46 August 9th, 2014 at 3:46 am
furthermore, you obviously decided not to read my comment above. way above. otherwise you surely wouldn’t have decided to respond with such utter nonsense. seriously, read my post above. aside from that. warren jeffs congregation should have been shot down like dirty dogs as they were a part of rape and incest, etc. this guy wasn’t.
Spada August 8th, 2014 at 9:11 pm
That is…crazy!
Now, I did see an article of someone robbing a place with a toy, but this is totally different.
whatthe46 August 8th, 2014 at 9:36 pm
Steve Lohner, 18, of Aurora, was stopped by police in late July after several residents called 911 concerned about the gun-toting teen. He also said the his goal is to actually make the people of Aurora – who faced the tragic mass murder of 12 in a packed movie theatre in 2012 – more comfortable around guns.
this is an 18 y/o white teen who says he was exercising his 2nd amendment rights in CO. to open carry while walking the streets of Aurora. he refused to cooperate with the police when confronted, he refused to show I.D. if any of you think for one minute if Mr. Crawford was excercising his rights in this manner and refused to cooperate with the police while walking in the street where open carry is allowed, we’d be reading about his death. but, this man is in the toy gun section and he gets confronted and murdered, we shouldn’t be reading about this. 3 white men carrying shot guns while in wal-mart is fine, now a man of color is not allowed to be in a toy gun isle. really? GTFOH!!!
AirGinShot1967 December 14th, 2014 at 4:12 pm
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