Young man with Down Syndrome shot dead by Swedish Police after interpreting his possession of a toy gun as a ‘threatening situation’
BBC / Expressen: A young man fatally shot by Swedish police while carrying a toy gun in Stockholm had Down’s syndrome and a form of autism, local media report.
Officers opened fire on Eric Torell, 20, in response to what they described as a “threatening situation” in the early hours of Thursday morning.
He was reported missing after leaving home hours earlier, his family said.
Eric’s mother, Katarina Söderberg, said the toy was a gift and she described her son as “the world’s kindest man”.
Ms Söderberg told Swedish news outlet Expressen that Eric was severely disabled and struggled with his speech, only ever really using the word “mum”.
She described the plastic toy he was carrying at the time of the shooting as “like a submachine gun”.
Pappan frågade polis efter Eric – då fick han dödsbeskedet.https://t.co/61BxW6O5Gq pic.twitter.com/8BRN8hKTrE
— Expressen (@Expressen) August 2, 2018
