Quantcast

Teen Pulls BB Gun On Cops, Gets Shot In The Face

bbgun.jpg A Bronx cop shot a teenager in the face after the adolescent reached for a BB gun on Holland Avenue yesterday afternoon. A plainclothes narcotics detective fired on 15-year-old Marcus Bonner at around 5 pm, hitting the aspiring rapper in the cheek after he made a move for the authentic-looking gun. "He makes like he's putting his hands up to surrender," a police source told the Daily News. "It's a fake surrender and he reaches for his gun."

Cops were in the neighborhood for a buy-and-bust sting when they saw Bonner pull the weapon on a group of teens. The officers chased Bonner into the apartment building where he lives with his mother and sister when he reportedly reached for the pellet gun. Police sources told the tabloid that the eight-year NYPD veteran who shot Bonner was in the right: "It looks like a clean shoot."

But witnesses didn't think the shooting — which left Bonner in stable condition at Jacobi Medical Center — was so clear cut: "Rev had a BB gun and he pulled it. And they shot him. Rev was bleeding out of his mouth," said Jessica Rivera, 28, calling Marcus by his nickname. "Damn, they tried to take his head off." Bonner was charged with menacing and possession of an imitation pistol.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

Comments [rss]

  • carbomb

    aspiring rapper? means he is still working on nursery rhymes?

  • Tricksta

    "Rev had a BB gun and he pulled it. And they shot him. Rev was bleeding out of his mouth," said Jessica Rivera, 28, calling Marcus by his nickname. "Damn, they tried to take his head off."

    Pretty much a cut-and-dry description of what happened. Where the hell do you get the idea from this statement that "witnesses didn't think the shooting was so clear cut"? The woman pretty much summed up what happened, only the dumbass "journalists" at Gothamist decided to put their own little spin on that comment.

    Slow day for page hits today?

  • 5borough

    He was just turning his life around, he was starting a new job Monday, he was going to start taking care of his kids... They left that part out.



    What a loser, but a Bronx Jury will make him rich.

  • brooklynmouthoff

    My poor sweet little boy. During a drug deal he pulled a gun on kids, and then on a cop. How could they possibly think he was dangerous.



    morons. people are so stupid.



    It's a shame this kid got shot. But you play with guns, you get shot.



    tough luck.



    Maybe you stay outta trouble next time.



    "bang bang!"

  • economycar

    I dislike the police (especially the 83rd precinct, you guys are amazing, keep up the good work) however this is one time when I will side with NYPD, if a kid pulls a realistic looking gun on a cop, he's going to get shot. If it was an orange nintendo duck hunt gun, that is a little different, still not that bright. Age is not really an issue, if you're an idiot at 15, you're probably going to be an idiot at 30.



    As far as the NYPD on a whole, I was just detained for 15 hours with no food, water or phone access, I was not allowed to contact an attorney. Fun.

  • anti-lib

    15 hours for what a bike on the sidewalk

  • Mr Mel

    It equates to Tom Wolfe's school teacher character in "Bonfire of the Vanities".

    When told the student killed in a robbery was an "Honor Student" he said to the reporter that in his school the term applied to anyone that shows up regularly.

  • robingee

    Well now he can drink from a straw without opening his mouth. He's like a juice box!

  • DarkGemini

    Well look at that. Darwin seems to have missed once again.

  • fishfryin

    they just showed a picture of the kids gun on nbc news...looks like a straight up handgun, not the bb gun you would envision from the above story...kid is lucky he survived and unlucky to be such a pathetic idiot

  • valeriob

    This cop should be suspended- until he learns how to shoot more accurately, that is.

    Lucky doesn't even begin to describe this animal. I wonder how many times he used this BB gun to rob someone.



    Gothamist, please follow up with jail time info. I'd like to know how long this POS will be far removed from civilization.

  • rcltrh

    "which left Bonner in stable condition at Jacobi Medical Center"



    That's too bad. The police need to be trained better to actually kill someone pulling a gun on them. Only a matter of recovery time before this loser does it again.

  • marcasm

    What does "aspiring rapper" mean anyway ? He stands on the corner with his friends and makes up rhymes ? And why is that relevant to the story ? Sounds more like he is an aspiring thug.

  • Spirit of 76

    Nah, aspiring rappers are those weirdos you see walking down the street making up bad lyrics spoken with bad flow. It's relevant because any time you see someone claiming to be an aspiring rapper, it means they have no other prospects in life. Aspiring rapper is the ultimate fallback position for life in the hood, aside from drug dealer, of course.

  • interlard

    What a tool. I wonder if he realizes how lucky he is to be given a second chance.

  • Quidnam

    Something tells me no.

  • faprilano

    just a matter of time before this kid is dead or in jail for life. idiot.

  • GOP

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAA. Maybe he can do a remake of Kanye's "Through The Wire."

  • Spirit of 76

    "Rev had a BB gun and he pulled it. And they shot him. Rev was bleeding out of his mouth," said Jessica Rivera, 28, calling Marcus by his nickname. "Damn, they tried to take his head off."



    It's too bad they didn't. With friends like this idiot girl, he'll never learn his lesson and his life will only continue to head downhill.

  • swoop

    Cops enforce laws. They shouldn't be allowed to kill people. If he shot him in the arm or leg, fine. he was defending himself. I think the cop should be fired for his first shot being a head shot.

  • Wayne

    I'm with ya Swoop. Cops should only be allowed to shoot at the perp's trigger finger.



    [snort]

  • carbomb

    what a dick weed you are. god i would love to put you out there in the jungle. you'd wet your knickers.

  • Sommelier

    In the Army I was trained "two in the chest, one in the head" over and over until it became an automatic response. I think that the police used tremendous restraint in not turning this scumbag into Swiss cheese. Yeah, I called him a scumbag. Pull a gun on a cop, ANY kind of gun, and you automatic enter into the scumbag ranks.

  • Mr Mel

    Right, if the gun was a 38 and not a BB pistol, we could have given the dead cop an Inspector's funeral. If a gun has to be fired, it's shoot to kill.

  • ...

    ...

    I'm sorry, The sheer ignorance (I'm really trying to be nice) of your statement stuns me. I only hope you're being sarcastic or your just incredibly naive...



    Regarding the witness (Witless is more like it):

    "Rev had a BB gun and he pulled it. And they shot him"

    Um,yeeeeaaaah...



    That will happen when you act like you're drawing a gun on a cop. IMO, he was attempting suicide by cop. That's right up there with Snatch: Replica vs Desert Eagle .50...

  • ANGRYGOD11

    You're seen too many TV shows and movies if you think it's so easy for anyone to pinpoint gunfire in an emergency life-or-death situation. Or maybe you believe the perp was standing still, in perfect lighting, after pulling out what looked like a gun?

  • Spirit of 76

    Actually, swoop is right. A head shot is a very bad idea. The head is a small target. Police procedure is to aim for the torso. Bigger target and better likelihood of a hit. I believe the officer was following procedure and was simply a bad marksman.

  • squatch

    he was enforcing the 'don't pull a gun on a cop' law. it's in the books. would have been better if the shot landed a few inches higher. the kid is a piece of crap.

  • tnturner

    Boner.

  • Tar_Baby

    This is hilarious! Kid just got his street cred.

  • SC

    Does pulling a BB gun give you street cred? 'cause it shouldn't.

  • Spirit of 76

    No, but getting shot by cops does. Doesn't matter why they shot you, in the hood, a bullet scar is a badge of honor.

  • Jesse

    This kid deserved it. Luckily he aint dead, he better be counting his blessings.

  • jaycjay

    "Rev had a BB gun and he pulled it."



    Translation: "Rev is an idiot."

  • Yeah what a dumb ass thats just as stupid as bringing a gun to a knife fight..... that will get yo ass cut!
  • Powerhugs

    The real joke is that these eyewitnesses need eyeglasses it sounds like. I wasn't there but if a cop sees a gun and feels he is in danger then its a different ballgame.

  • hotstepper

    getting shot in the face by cops should only help this young aspiring rapper along with his dreams. holla!

  • NannyState

    His new rap handle: "BB Cheeks".

  • Clarice City

    He's such a good boy. I don't know how this happened.

  • JacqueMehoff

    this is as bad as bringing a knife to a gunfight.

  • Bernie Madoff-Goetz

    If you pull a piece, you get shot. The LAST thing a cop needs to think about when someone pulls a weapon is whether it's a real gun or a BB gun. Unless the thing was orange with a pink barrel, it will be taken for the real thing. Another "ghetto idiot acting stupid; friends claiming police brutality" story to file with the other 1,234,987 (give or take.)

blog comments powered by Disqus

send a tip

tips@gothamist.com