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S. African police kill 15-year-old boy

02 April 2010 02:21 (UTC +04:00)

Baku â€“ APA. Police in South Africa shot and killed a 15-year-old boy in his home during a hunt for an escaped prisoner Thursday, local media said, APA reports quoting AFP.
The boy was sleeping on the couch when police stormed the house and fatally shot him, reported Talk Radio 702.
The incident comes one week after a study found that fatal police shootings in South Africa hit a 12-year high last year, with 556 people killed.
The study, by the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation, brought fresh scrutiny to national police Commissioner Bheki Cele’s declaration last year that police in the crime-plagued country should "shoot to kill".
The Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD), a government watchdog, said it was investigating Thursday’s shooting.
"I’m aware of the incident. We are investigating," ICD spokesman Moses Dlamini told AFP.
Dlamini said police allege they acted in self-defence after the boy pulled a gun on them. The shooting happened in the town of Esikhawini in northern KwaZulu-Natal province, he said.