A 12-year-old boy has been shot dead by police in the US city of Cleveland, after brandishing what turned out to be a fake gun in a playground.

Health officials identified the boy as Tamir Rice.

Police say an officer fired two shots at the boy after he failed to obey an order to raise his hands.

A caller reported the boy to police for scaring people with a gun but said that he did not know if it was real.

One of the cops who responded was in his first year in the local force, while the other had more than 10 years experience.

Cleveland deputy police chief, Ed Tomba, said the boy was shot after pulling the gun from the waistband of his trousers.

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