Three police officers arrived at Stockholm's Vasastan district in the early hours of Thursday to respond to reports of a man in possession of a gun.
Eric Torell was shot after he failed to comply with the police officers' orders to drop what they believed to be a dangerous weapon and behaved "threateningly" when being approached.
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The 20-year-old, diagnosed with Down's Syndrome and a form of autism, was rushed to hospital where he was confirmed dead from gunshots shortly after. The prosecutor's office has opened a probe into possible police misconduct.
So. Meanwhile in Sweden:
— Klopponaut ⚽️ (@klopponaut) 2 августа 2018 г.
Police in Stockholm just shot a man with Down’s syndrome DEAD for carrying a toy gun. 😳 https://t.co/bhAHzLqjRt
Eric's mother Katarina Soederberg underlined that her severely disabled son, who struggled with his speech and could only say the word "mum", was "the world's kindest man."
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"It's impossible to understand. He wouldn't hurt a fly," Soederberg said, admitting, at the same time, that the plastic toy he was carrying at the time of the shooting "looked a little like a submachine gun."
She added that Eric had more than once run away from home before the fatal shooting, but that he had always been returned in the end.
