Schurz teen killed by tribal cop

A 17-year-old Schurz boy died Thursday night after he was shot by a Walker River Tribal police officer during a confrontation.

Norman Boney Jr. was struck by two bullets after he charged the tribal officer outside the family's house on Lake Pasture Road, according to the FBI. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The incident started when officers responded to a call from the teen's mom, Gayle Boney, who requested help in finding her husband, Norman Boney Sr. She described Boney Sr. as intoxicated and "acting crazy," the FBI said.

One officer saw Boney's truck at the residence with the doors open shortly after 8 p.m. Both Boney Sr. and his teenage son immediately confronted the officer and allegedly threatened him. At one point during the dispute, Boney Jr. brought out a pit bull and threatened to release it, the FBI said.

After the officer used his Taser on the boy's combative father, Boney Jr. charged and was shot, the FBI said.

Volunteer emergency medical technicians found Boney Jr. lying near the rear of the family's home after they responded to the shooting call, one of the emergency workers said.

The medic, who did not want his name used, said emergency personnel immediately began CPR along with other emergency measures.

"We did what the protocols require us to do. When we put him on the monitor we got nothing," the medical technician said.

The medical crew worked on Boney for about 15 minutes before a doctor at Banner Churchill Community Hospital in Fallon told them to discontinue CPR and pronounce the victim deceased.

The paramedic said two of the EMTs who responded to the emergency are related to the victim. There are 18 volunteer medical technicians who answer calls in Schurz, a community of 800-900 residents on the Walker River Pauite Reservation in Mineral County.

"It's a personal thing," he said about losing someone in the small community. "We know the family members and it's tough on the whole EMS organization."

Dylan Johnson, a receptionist assistant at the Walker River Tribal Offices, said the victim was not armed, and the officer left the area immediately after the shooting. That information has not been confirmed or denied by authorities.

"He did not have a weapon. The cop just reacted," Johnson said. "After he shot him he ran off."

The shooting is being investigated by the FBI, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Walker River Tribal Police Department. The officer is not being identified at this time.