A white Cleveland police officer was justified in fatally shooting a black 12-year-old boy holding a pellet gun moments after pulling up beside him, according to two outside reviews conducted at the request of the prosecutor investigating the death.
A retired FBI agent and a Denver prosecutor both found the rookie patrolman who shot Tamir Rice exercised a reasonable use of force because he had reason to perceive the boy -- described in an emergency call as a man waving and pointing a gun -- as a serious threat.
The reports were released Saturday night by the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office, which asked for the outside reviews as it presents evidence to a grand jury that will ultimately determine whether Timothy Loehmann will be charged in the death of Tamir last November.
"We are not reaching any conclusions from these reports," Prosecutor Timothy J. McGinty said in a statement. "The gathering of evidence continues, and the grand jury will evaluate it all."
He said the reports, which included a technical reconstruction by the Ohio State Highway Patrol, were released in the interests of being "as public and transparent as possible."
For those who may have forgotten exactly what happened on that November day back in 2014, here is the surveillance video of the event. (Most the tape just shows Tamir walking around playing with his toy, the killing takes place around the 7:10 mark.)
It should be noted that the 9-11 caller who phoned the police reported that Rice was "possibly a juvenile" and that the weapon was "probably fake."
And yet seconds after arriving they shot this young man down in cold blood.
We live in a country where white men can safely walk the streets wearing assault rifles strapped to their bodies like over sized jewelry and yet a young boy playing with a toy gun is murdered in cold blood by the police.
And people wonder why a group like Black Live Matter exists in the world today.
This should come as no surprise.
ReplyDeleteWhy have a review if you don't know what the conclusion is going to be?
The fact that the cop is a psychopath doesn't count for anything. He only killed one black child.
Releasing those reports to the public now, even before the grand jury meets, is the prosecutor screaming 'Fuck, You!' to everyone who wants justice for Tamir Rice.
ReplyDeleteJustice is for justice only, the thorough investigation of facts and evidence... what you are suggesting is not justice.
DeleteI swear, I'm embarrassed to be an American!
ReplyDeleteIt's no wonder the police are no longer respected when they continually get away with killing minorities that are children, teenagers and adults, who have proven to have no weapons on them!
If I had been the officer getting out of the car right in front of anyone that close with what looked like a gun, I may have fired, too - twice, and the second shot would have been at the son-of-a-bitch driving the car who put me in that position.
ReplyDeleteBut Gryphen, You keep telling us the only people who should carry guns are those well trained policemen who seem to kill more people every year and get away with it.
ReplyDeleteDumb argument that presupposes Tamir Rice could have defended himself with a BB gun.
DeleteThe operative adjective is "well-trained."
DeleteAre you saying we should arm 12 years old now? I mean I know that's the NRA's wet dream.
DeleteNo surprise in Ohio. We've got a history going of incompetant cops killing young black people in this state. Its almost like a cottage industry. The more innocent, the more heinous the murder.
ReplyDeleteAnd you're not even safe in a wheelchair.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=cops%20shoot%20man%20in%20wheelchair
In my opinion, the cop was guilty of manslaughter. Pure and simple. You don't need cops walking in shooting before asking questions or securing the area personally. I'd say it was murder but I guess the toy gun takes that off the table.
ReplyDeleteI have a 12-year-old daughter and I know a lot of her friends, male and female. Are 12-year-olds capable of being violent? Of course, even very violent (although I don't see that in any of the kids I know).
ReplyDeleteBlack children aren't seen as Black children, they are seen as little Black adults - super-criminals, ultra-violent, with super-strength.
That's why so many people thought Zimmerman was justified in killing Trayvon Martin.
That's why those Black girls were assaulted by adult women at that pool a few months ago.
And that's why so many people are ok with the fact that this LEO waited all of two or three seconds to kill this 12-year-old boy.
I wonder if that cops' kid has toy guns, and takes them to any public place, let alone a PLAYGROUND. Hell he could get shot for playing with a toy right? And whoever shoots him would be "justified", RIGHT?. Cuz ya know kids on PLAYGROUNDS with TOY guns are SUCH a threat.
ReplyDeleteHis only crime was the color of his skin. How the pig that shot him in cold blood lives with himself is just bryond me. No attempt at communication whatsoever. Had the kid been white, he'd get a good talking to and a ride home.
ReplyDeleteThis has been going on way way too long. I'm in my fifties, and dated outside my race. By bf at the time got pulled over for a broken tail light. I was taken to the side and asked if I was being held against my will, and other extremely personal questions. The bastards called my parents. I was 23 years old, and they questioned my parent's parenting skills. Guess we're lucky we bot lived, but watching this again makes me wonder when things will change for the better.
Actually, there have been plenty of white boys/young men killed by police while brandishing airsoft guns, more than blacks. They just don't get the Al Sharpton press. Maybe you white guilt libs should get your head out of your collective asses.
DeleteHey Anon 6:49, go F yourself, hard.
DeleteIt's hard to tell ANYTHING from that video. But what's pretty clear to me in the video is that the person was threatening people with a gun...in an atmosphere where we hear about kids killing in schools, malls, churches, all the time, and someone called the cops to disarm him. Cops arrive, and they didn't arrive guns blazing from their cruiser, they got out of the vehicle, and communicated with him. There's only one thing that person should have done if he expected to live: Drop the gun and get down on the ground or put his hands up. That's it. Anything short of that you're going to get shot, and justifiably so. In fact, he should have dropped the gun before the car even came to a halt.
ReplyDeleteRigged?
ReplyDeleteCan you say rigged?
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/10/13/1431577/-Fix-is-in-Investigator-hired-by-Cleveland-for-Tamir-Rice-murder-cited-by-DOJ-for-extreme-bias