A police officer fired his service pistol at a 16-year-old Wednesday after the youth allegedly pointed what turned out to be a pellet gun replica of a semiautomatic handgun at the officer.
The single round fired by Officer Barden Castro missed the boy in the incident on Ballard Street in the city’s North End.  
Police spokesman Sgt. Paul Gauvin said police received a call about 10:30 a.m. from a Fulton Street resident that a white man, wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, white shorts and sneakers, dropped what appeared to be a handgun, then picked it up and stuck it in the right side of his waistband.
Shortly after police responded to the area, Castro began to chase the suspect north on Lindsey Street and onto Ballard Street, where the youth was seen at one point running with the gun in his hand, Gauvin said.
“The suspect ran south up a flight [...]

Original post by John Moss