HENRY COUNTY, Ga. — Witnesses and classmates say the teenager shot and killed by police in Henry County earlier this week was a straight-A, honor roll student.
Police say they approached Tyrie Howse, 16, and his friend in a Krispy Kreme parking lot. They say the friend handed Howse a gun, and he ran off with it.
That’s when police say they shot Howse. He was pronounced dead a short time later.
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Witness Quan Smith told Channel 2’s Tyisha Fernandes that processing what he saw has been difficult.
“When I saw that kid on the ground, it hit me kinda differently,” Smith said. “It’s really sad that a 16-year-old lost his life for being scared, basically.”
Smith says he saw police questioning other people in the area before walking up to the teens.
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“Police officers were already around the area, they was. I don’t know if they saw another individual and started to question him, so after they questioned him they went over to the two kids,” Smith said.
Howse’s classmates say he was always in his scrubs and was excited about his future. Now, his family is planning his funeral.
“I feel like the officer could’ve handled that differently,” Smith said.
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