SUFFOLK, Va. — A Suffolk police officer is on administrative leave after shooting a teen on Saturday.
According to Suffolk Police, one of their officers was approached by a teenage girl welding weapons on Oakglen Drive.
Despite numerous attempts to de-escalate the situation, the teen was shot and taken to the hospital. The name and condition of the teenager have not been identified.
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Teenage girl 'wielding weapons' shot by police on Oakglen Dr. in Suffolk: City
The officer who fired the gun has since been put on administrative leave pending a criminal and administrative investigation.
Rick James, a retired Norfolk Police Detective says officers will spend hours training for scenarios that present danger to them and the public.
Before shots are fired, James says warnings are given, but when it's ignored officers have to react as if their lives are at risk.
Watch previous coverage: Teenage girl 'wielding weapons' shot by police on Oakglen Dr. in Suffolk: City
"If someone has a knife on them and they are ten to twelve feet away from an officer, your life is in danger," said James. "You are trained to shoot before a person gets within twelve feet from you particularly if they are not following your demands. When a person has a gun pointing at you, you have merely seconds."
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