The 17-year-old reported that someone in the area had a gun, but within minutes of officers arriving, the unarmed Black teen was shot dead. Even so, the department has publicly characterized the shooting as potentially a case of “suicide by cop,” arguing Williams provoked officers into shooting him. All three officers involved in Williams’ shooting have been placed on administrative leave, which is standard for APD. For Bonds, Williams’ death evokes another tragedy that transformed the national conversation around policing: the 2014 police killing of 12-year-old Tamir Rice. Until then, they argue, the death of an unarmed Black teenager deserves deeper investigation.