A 12-year-old boy has been shot dead by police in the US as he played with a fake gun in a park.

Tamir Rice, who was black, died of his wounds yesterday in hospital after being shot twice in Cleveland, Ohio, on Saturday.

A member of the public had phoned police saying people in the playground were scared by someone brandishing what looked like a gun.

In a recording released by officials, the caller can be heard saying: “There’s a guy with a pistol…you know, it’s probably fake but he’s pointing it at everybody.

“I don't know if it's real or not."

The 911 responder twice asked whether the boy was black or white before dispatching officers.

When police arrived at the Cudell Recreation Center park, they told Tamir to raise his hands, deputy police chief Ed Tomba said.

When he allegedly took the replica gun from his waistband, an officer fired twice despite the fact the suspected weapon was not pointed at them and no threats were made.

Cleveland police are investigating the shooting and the two officers involved have been placed on administrative leave in accordance with procedure.

Tamir’s father, Gregory Henderson, told local newspaper the Cleveland Plain Dealer that his son was a “respectful” young man and said the police should have tasered him instead of using live ammunition if they felt threatened.

Referring to police, he added: “You shot him twice, not once, and at the end of the day you all don't shoot for the legs, you shoot for the upper body.”

After reviewing the evidence, prosecutors will present the case to a grand jury, which will decide whether the officer was justified in using deadly force against the boy.

A lawyer for Tamir’s family, Timothy Kucharski, said he had gone to the park with friends as normal on Saturday afternoon but did not know the details of what led to the shooting.

“We're ultimately going to find out what happened,” he added.

Jeff Follmer, president of the Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association, said the officers involved were not told the caller thought the gun might be fake.

Tamir’s death has sparked calls for new laws in Ohio to require all BB guns, air rifles and airsoft guns sold in the state to be brightly marked to show they are fake. A similar bill is being implemented in California.

It comes after another black man with an air rifle was shot dead in Ohio in August.

John Crawford III, 22, was killed after a man called 911 to report he was carrying a gun in a Wal-Mart supermarket.

Police said they believed the air rifle Crawford had picked up was a real rifle and that he didn't respond to commands to drop it but his family said he had just picked it up from a shelf while shopping.

A special grand jury concluded police officers' actions were justified and the US Department of Justice is investigating.

The latest fatal police shooting comes as a grand jury in Missouri decides whether to indict a white police officer for shooting dead Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager.

In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Show all 32 1 /32 In pictures: Michael Brown shooting In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting Riot police stand guard as demonstrators protest the shooting death of teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting Police stand watch as demonstrators protest the shooting death of teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting A police officer patrols a business district in Ferguson In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting Police surround and detain two people in a car in Ferguson In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting A protester throws back a smoke bomb while clashing with police in Ferguson In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting A protester is engulfed in smoke as he throws back a smoke bomb while clashing with police in Ferguson In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting A demonstrator, protesting the shooting death of teenager Michael Brown, stands his ground as police fire tear gas in Ferguson In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting A demonstrator throws back a tear gas container after tactical officers worked to break up a group of bystanders on Chambers Road and West Florissant in St. Louis In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting A member of the St. Louis County Police Department points his weapon in the direction of a group of protesters in Ferguson In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown’s parents, Michael Brown Sr, left, and Lesley McSpadden, right, stand next to the Rev Al Sharpton in St Louis AP In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting Demonstrators protest the killing of teenager Michael Brown outside Greater St. Marks Family Church while Browns family along with civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton and a capacity crowd of guests met inside to discuss the killing in St Louis, Missouri In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting Demonstrators protest the killing of teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting Police take up position to control demonstrators who were protesting the killing of teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting Police detain a man in Ferguson, Missouri In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting Demonstrators march in the street while protesting the shooting death of black teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting Police officers keep watch while demonstrators protest the death of black teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting Demonstrators protest the killing of teenager Michael Brown in Clayton, Missouri In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting Anthony Shahid leads a peaceful protest over the killing of teenager Michael Brown in Clayton, Missouri In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting Lesley McSpadden (L), the mother of slain teenager Michael Brown joins a capacity crowd of guests at Greater St. Marks Family Church to discuss the killing of her son and the civil unrest resulting from his death in St Louis, Missouri In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting Lesley McSpadden, the mother of 18-year-old Michael Brown, wipes away tears as Brown's father, Michael Brown Sr., holds up a family picture of himself, his son, top left, and a young child during a news conference in Jennings In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting Police with dogs in St Louis after vandalism started St Louis Post-Dispatch/AP In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting A man leaving a looted shop in St Louis following a vigil for Michael Brown on Sunday St Louis Post-Dispatch/AP In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting Protesters bang on the side of a police car Sunday evening, St Louis Post-Dispatch/AP In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting Meghan O'Donnell, 29, from St Louis, prays at the spot where Michael Brown was killed on Sunday evening St Louis Post-Dispatch/AP In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting A large crowd gathers at the candlelight vigil on Sunday evening St Louis Post-Dispatch/AP In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting Protesters raise their hands in the 'don't shoot me' stance after being approached by police officers on Sunday St Louis Post-Dispatch/AP In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting Lesley McSpadden, center, drops rose petals on the blood stains from her son AP Photo/St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Huy Mach In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting Lesley McSpadden, left, is comforted by her husband, Louis Head, after her son, was shot AP Photo/St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Huy Mach In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting Louis Head, stepfather to Michael Brown, holds a sign AP Photo/St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Huy Mach In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting Ferguson police officers try to calm down a crowd near the scene of Michael Brown's death AP Photo/St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Huy Mach In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting A crowd stages a protest AP Photo/St. Louis Post-Dispatch, David Carson In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting Police officers stand near a crowd that is gathering AP Photo/St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Huy Mach

His death in August sparked weeks of protests and unrest in Ferguson, St Louis, and a harsh crackdown by riot police with armoured vehicles and tear gas.

The case has drawn international attention to the treatment of young black men by police in the US, reigniting racial tensions in some communities.