CUPERTINO, CA—Explaining that they took immediate action against what they perceived to be a threat, local police officers repeatedly shot Apple CEO Tim Cook after mistaking an iPhone he was holding for a gun, sources confirmed Thursday. “Law enforcement saw the suspect reach into his pocket and take out what looked like a firearm, and, believing their lives to be in danger, acted quickly to neutralize the assailant,” said a spokesman for the Cupertino Sheriff’s Office after an officer shot the CEO 18 times in under a minute at a press event for the upcoming iPhone 11. “We received a call reporting suspicious activity in the area, and officers arriving on the scene witnessed a man standing on a stage holding what appeared to be a handgun. At such a large public gathering, we couldn’t risk not moving to stop him by any means necessary, which is why our officer opened fire.” Sources reported that surveillance footage from the event also shows officers stepping over Cook’s dead body and firing multiple rounds at an image of the iPhone 11 on a video screen, believing it to be a large gun.

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