{PHOTO) Tale Of 3 Nollywood Actresses At War

Dozens of people marched through the Santa Rosa neighborhood where a 13 year old boy was shot and killed by one of two sheriff’s deputies, after the deputies mistakenly thought the toy rifle was a real assault weapon.

Santa Rosa Police, who are handling the shooting investigation, say the deputies stopped their marked patrol car on Tuesday afternoon at 3:14 and told Andy Lopez twice to put down the gun.

Police say Lopez had his back to the deputies, who didn’t realize he was so young.

Instead, they say, Lopez turned with the barrel of the gun pointing toward them.

Police say the deputies feared for their lives and one of them opened fire.

“The deputy then fired several rounds from his service weapon at the subject,” said Lt. Paul Henry, “striking him at least one time.  The subject immediately fell to the ground.”

But one neighbor said he saw something different.

Ethan Oliver says he lives across the street and came outside after he heard two gun shots.

He says by that time Lopez was already on the ground.

“Then the cops went at it again and unloaded like 6 to 7 shots,” said Oliver.

When asked if he meant that the deputy shot Lopez while he was on the ground, Oliver said, “Yeah. Exactly what I saw.”

Authorities haven’t responded to that statement.

During a Wednesday afternoon news conference police displayed a real assault weapon and the “air soft” carried by the teen to demonstrate how difficult it is to tell them apart.

But one neighbor said police should know the difference.

“They kinda look the same,” said Christina Avila, “but at the same time if you’re law enforcement your job is to know what’s real and what’s fake.”

Greg Kestel said he used to work in the neighborhood, and said the teen wasn’t doing anything that a teen in any other part of the county wouldn’t be doing.

“If this is like anywhere else in rural Sonoma County and a kid with a pellet gun, they wouldn’t have done nothing to him,” said Kestel. “But this urban area they just blast the kid.”

Maritza Gallardo, 12, said she simply misses seeing her 13 year old cousin.

“It did hurt. It hurts a lot that he’s gone,” said Gallardo.

The Santa Rosa and Petaluma police departments were joining with the District Attorney’s office in the investigation of the shooting while the two deputies were on administrative leave.