I lived in Cleveland twenty five years. So the Tamir Rice case is close to my heart. I have nine grandchildren and he was only 12 years old. Each and every senseless murder by police of young men of color has hurt my heart. But this twelve year old, playing in a public park alone and dying in the snow on a cold Cleveland day ripped me to shreds.

Tamir lived close to the park. His sister was home and was 14 years old. A person called 911 that there was a suspicious person in the park and looked like he had a toy gun. The 911 operator radioed the police car and did not say it may have been a child with a toy gun. The cop car rolled up practically on top of twelve year old Tamir. A cop jumped out, called to Tamir, who was into his game, and within two seconds this child was dead. His life cut out without an investigation, without giving the child time to process that a cop car was there and he may have been told to do something. He stopped, turned to the person speaking to him and fell to the ground, dead. Dead and lifeless.

He went out to play on a cold Cleveland snowy day in a public park and then he was dead. Alone. His mother and sister barred by police from going to him and perhaps being able to hold him in their arms as he died. A twelve year old child playing on a winter day with a toy gun was dead and his Mom would never hear him laugh again or see him open his birthday presents ever again. This is just the beginning of the story.

bjwordpressdivider

Cleveland Cops Can’t Stop Trolling Tamir Rice’s Family

Published on Apr 25, 2016

Cleveland, Ohio has granted the Tamir Rice family a six million dollar settlement in a civil lawsuit filed against the city and its law enforcement. Unrepentant officials decided to twist the knife into Rice’s parents one more time by saying they hope they spend the settlement money on a campaign warning of the dangers of toy guns. Ana Kasparian, John Iadarola (ThinkTank), and Jimmy Dore, hosts of The Young Turks, break it down. Tell us what you think in the comment section below.

“THE CITY OF CLEVELAND announced on Monday that it will pay $6 million to settle a lawsuit by the family of Tamir Rice, the 12-year-old boy who was tragically killed by police officers in 2014 while holding a toy gun.

The Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association released a statement responding to the settlement. Rather than acknowledging any error on the police’s part, the association suggested that the Rice family use the funds to “educate the youth of Cleveland in the dangers associated with the mishandling of both real and facsimile firearms.””*

Hosts: Ana Kasparian, John Iadarola, Jimmy Dore

Shocking Details About Cleveland Cops Who Killed Tamir Rice

Published on Dec 22, 2014

The Cleveland police officers who fatally shot 12-year-old Tamir Rice have some hideous stories about them as well as the Cleveland Police Department itself.

Not Justice & Not Enough: Tamir Rice Family Gets $6M Settlement for Police Killing of 12-Year-Old

Published on Apr 26, 2016

http://democracynow.org – As Cleveland officials agree to pay $6 million to settle a lawsuit by the family of Tamir Rice, the youngest victim in a spate of well-known police killings of unarmed African Americans, we speak with Zoe Salzman, one of his family’s attorneys, and with Rian Brown, an organizer from Black Lives

City agrees to demolish gazebo where Tamir Rice was shot

Friday, April 29th 2016, 8:10 am EDTFriday, April 29th 2016, 9:21 am EDT

By Shanice Dunning, Reporter

Posted by Cleveland 19 Digital Team

CLEVELAND, OH (WOIO) –The gazebo where Tamir Rice, 12, was shot by Cleveland police November 2014 will be torn down.

Samaria Rice, the mother of Tamir, told Cleveland 19 News back in September she wanted the gazebo to come down.

“It needs to be torn down. It needs to be torn down. It’s a bad thing,” said Rice. “I’m hoping the city will allow me to tear it down and redo the park area.”

Posted by Cleveland 19 Digital Team

The city plans to tear it down as soon as Monday, according to Cleveland 19 News reporter, Scott Taylor.

People still come to leave mementos at the spot where Tamir was shot at Cudell Recreation Center.

tamirricegazebo

The city released a statement Friday, saying it had considered disassembling the gazebo at the rec center previously, “but due to criminal, civil and administrative cases, we could not proceed until it was no longer needed for evidential purposes.”

There are plans to build a memorial at Cudell through donations.

A grand jury decided on Dec. 28, 2015 not to indict the two officers involved in the shooting, Timothy Loehmann and Frank Garmback. Cuyahoga County prosecutor Tim McGinty said the evidence did not warrant criminal charges.

On Nov. 22, 2014, Tamir was fatally shot by a Cleveland police officer after a report of a male with a gun outside of a Cleveland recreation center. Officers Loehmann and Garmback responded to the scene. Loehmann fired the shot that killed the 12-year-old.

The city settled this week with the Rice family for $6 million dollars.

City of Cleveland Settles Tamir Rice Lawsuit for $6 Million

by CORKY SIEMASZKO and THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Another painful chapter in the Tamir Rice tragedy closed Monday when the city of Cleveland agreed to pay $6 million to settle a civil rights lawsuit brought by the slain boy’s family.

Click link below to see statement from Cleveland’s Mayor

http://www.nbcnews.com/widget/video-embed/673285699964

Cleveland Mayor on Tamir Rice Settlement: No Price You Can Put On a Life Lost 0:46

But the city admitted no wrongdoing in the death of the 12-year-old black boy who was fatally shot by a white cop while holding a pellet gun outside a recreation center.

Tamir Rice Courtesy Rice family attorney

“Although historic in financial terms, no amount of money can adequately compensate for the loss of a life,” the Rice family’s lawyers said in a statement. “In a situation such as this, there is no such thing as closure or justice. Nothing will bring Tamir back.”

An order filed in U.S. District Court in Cleveland on Monday says the city will pay out $3 million this year and $3 million the next.

Tamir’s estate has been assigned $5.5 million of the settlement amount. A Cuyahoga County probate judge will decide how the amount will be divided. Samaria Rice, Tamir’s mother, will receive $250,000. Claims against Tamir’s estate account for the remaining $250,000. Tamir’s father, Leonard Warner, was dismissed in February as a party to the lawsuit.

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson said the settlement brought an end to the civil case, but considerable pain — for Rice’s family and the city as a whole — remained.

“While we have settled the legal side of this and the court side of this for $6 million, there is no price you can put on the life of a lost 12-year-old child,” Jackson told reporters.

Asked how the settlement amount squared with the lack of any admission of wrongdoing, the mayor replied: “It’s just a legal way of doing things.”

The settlement won’t impact an ongoing disciplinary investigation against the officers, he said.

The fatal shooting unfolded on Nov. 22, 2014: A police cruiser raced in front of a Cleveland recreation center and rolled up alongside Rice. One of the two police officers inside the car jumped out and fired his service weapon twice. Rice, who earlier had been flashing around a toy pellet gun, crumpled onto the snowy soil.

The incident lasted less than two seconds. (click link below to see video:

http://www.nbcnews.com/widget/video-embed/381538883872 Please double click

Extended Tamir Rice Shooting Video Shows Cops Restraining Sister 2:02)

Tamir Rice shooting: Cleveland to pay $6 million to settle family’s lawsuit

By Michael Pearson, CNN

Updated 10:56 PM ET, Mon April 25, 2016

ayor says he hopes the settlement will begin to move city toward closure
City doesn’t acknowledge fault in the fatal 2014 shooting of 12-year-old boy

(CNN)The city of Cleveland will pay $6 million to settle the federal lawsuit filed by the family of Tamir Rice, the 12-year-old boy killed by police gunfire in November 2014, according to a settlement announced Monday in U.S. District Court.

According to terms of the settlement, the city acknowledges no fault in Tamir’s death, which came after a 911 caller told of someone in a city park brandishing what appeared to be a toy gun.

Officer Timothy Loehmann, a trainee, shot Tamir moments after arriving in response to the call. Police said the boy was pulling out what was later found to be a toy gun when he was shot.

Prosecutor: “Perfect storm of human error” killed Tamir Rice 03:35

In December, a grand jury declined to indict Loehmann or his trainer, Officer Frank Garmback, in Tamir’s death. The grand jury concluded the shooting was a “perfect storm of human error, mistakes and communications” but not a criminal act, prosecutor Tim McGinty said at the time.

The family’s January 2015 wrongful death lawsuit argued the city was negligent in Tamir’s death.

The family said dispatchers should have told officers about a 911 caller’s statements that the gun Tamir had was likely a toy, that officers approached the scene too aggressively and Loehmann fired too quickly, and that they failed to help the boy after he was shot.

The family also alleged that Loehmann wasn’t suited to be a police officer and that the city failed to vet or supervise officers properly.

In response, the city said in legal filings that Tamir was at fault and maintained the city was entitled to immunity under state and federal law.

Mayor Frank Jackson later apologized for the wording, calling it hurtful and disrespectful.

On Monday, Jackson addressed reporters on the settlement, declining to offer details about how the agreement was reached and expressing hope the settlement would begin to move the city toward closure.

But he said, “There is no price that you can put on the life, on the loss, of a 12-year-old child.”

The city will pay half of the money this year, and half next year, according to a document filed in court.

The Cleveland Police Patrolman’s Association responded with a statement. “We have maintained from the onset this has been an absolute tragedy for the Rice family as well as our involved officers and their families. Our hearts continue to be with them,” Stephen Loomis, the president of the association, said in a short emailed statement.

“We can only hope the Rice family and their attorneys will use a portion of this settlement to help educate the youth of Cleveland in the dangers associated with the mishandling of both real and facsimile firearms. Something positive must come from this tragic loss. That would be educating youth of the dangers of possessing a real or replica firearm.

“We look forward to the possibility of working with the Rice family to achieve this common goal.”

A probate judge must still approve the settlement, according to the document.

Mother of Tamir Rice says police threatened to arrest her

Published on Dec 8, 2014

The mother of the boy who had a toy gun and was fatally shot by police in Cleveland talks to the media.

This is obviously not a new news story. But so many young black lives have been snuffed out and Tamir was a child. I have a grandson who is twelve. I felt due to the recent killing of the young man in Texas, who was shot seven times in the back, it was time to remind Americans that we do not shoot first and ask questions later.

To the entire Rice family, I apologize for the lack of compassion and empathy on the part of the officers who had just killed Tamir. Rest in Peace, little one. You will never be forgotten. May your family’s grief heal with time and may you find peace.

I feel that Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio as well as Governor John Kasich should introduce legislation to make it a crime to manufacture or sell toy guns.

Namaste,

Barbara

3 thoughts on “Tamir Rice”

Cynthia Reyes says:

May 1, 2016 at 2:36 PM

Thanks for this, Barbara. My best to the rice family and all who loved Tamir.

12-year-old Tamir Rice killed, no indictment in Ohio, USA | Dear Kitty. Some blog says:

May 1, 2016 at 3:08 PM

[…] Abady, an attorney for Tamir‘s family, said Monday they were “saddened and disappointed” by the decision not […]

IdealisticRebel says:

May 1, 2016 at 6:52 PM

Thank you for your thoughtfulness and kindness. I hope the Rice family will begin to heal now and that this stop happening to young people of color. To all of the kind, compassionate, caring people in America, thank you for taking time out of your day to read my humble worlds. Hugs and light, Barbara