Tamir Rice shooting

[Grumman]

You'll notice that those kids didn't get shot to death after the police saw their toy guns. I wonder what the difference between those kids and Tamir Rice is...

Because it's a staged commercial and those probably weren't even real cops?

What? Next you'll tell me that driving in circles really fast can't create a tornado!

[cmdrjones]

How many Open Carry Advocates have been shot by police officers when openly brandishing real firearms in public? Why do you suppose those guys aren't being shot the same way as black people carrying pellet guns? It can't possibly have anything to do with the way white society is utterly terrified of young black men and perceives them all as criminals, can it?

http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/slayi ... ks-friends

This wasn't open carry, but he was seen w a gun in his waistband, and killed sorta like Tamir Rice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vUR9f7wnvk

This guy gets hemmed up despite being all lily white and open carrying....

[cmdrjones]

I love how the scum of the board will come rising out of the sewers to even defend worthless pigs murdering children.

As a well known scum of the board... I think that the police are probably circling the wagons and the headlines about other members of Tamir Rice's family and their past crimes are definitely distasteful in the extreme, I DON'T think anybody here is advocating for his death, or the deaths of any children, white or black. They are simply defending police and investigative procedure. That being said, if half the stuff about the "rookie" cops deficiencies are true... The family of Tamir Rice will probably end up owning a fair chunk of that city.

[Flagg]

Somehow I just can't see in my mind a white kid in a park waving around a pellet gun while on a swing even getting the cops called on them, let alone getting blown away with no warning by said cops.

[Terralthra]

Curiously enough, we can actually put some evidence toward that. For example, while investigating a shooting at a Philadelphia-area bar, police encountered a 55 year-old male, drunk and belligerent, armed with multiple firearms. He pointed them at the police, and refed to drop either gun. He fired a shot (which missed). After a "brief struggle", the police disarmed the man of his firearms and took him into custody, where he is now facing charges related to the incident.

So let's see...pointed a gun at officers, refused to comply with police orders, fired a shot at officers and bystanders. No lethal force applied, taken into custody alive. I wonder what the difference was? Couldn't possibly be that the perpetrator was white, could it?

[Ziggy Stardust]

Somehow I just can't see in my mind a white kid in a park waving around a pellet gun while on a swing even getting the cops called on them, let alone getting blown away with no warning by said cops.

I personally had the police called on me and some friends back in high school for firing Airsoft guns in a public park. Of course, the cops showed up and immediately realized what was going on and basically just told us to be careful and left, but we still had the cops called on us for that.

One friend of mine (who, especially in retrospect with the current social climate, was an exceedingly lucky person) did a rather stupid thing and spray-painted their Airsoft gun black to make it look cooler/realistic. Then he decided to do some target practice. At night. In the high school parking lot. Since he had a shaved head, someone called the cops and said "There's a skin-head waving a gun around at the high school!" Several cop cars responded and they drew their weapons on him. Of course he wasn't shot.

[Kamakazie Sith]

Somehow I just can't see in my mind a white kid in a park waving around a pellet gun while on a swing even getting the cops called on them, let alone getting blown away with no warning by said cops.

I have personally responded on such a call. These kids were playing in a gully with airsoft weapons. They were realistic looking. Our approach was safe because we walked in from a distance and when we were able to see them we still had over 50 yards between us and them. The approach of the veteran officer in this shooting really bothers me.

[Kamakazie Sith]

Curiously enough, we can actually put some evidence toward that. For example, while investigating a shooting at a Philadelphia-area bar, police encountered a 55 year-old male, drunk and belligerent, armed with multiple firearms. He pointed them at the police, and refed to drop either gun. He fired a shot (which missed). After a "brief struggle", the police disarmed the man of his firearms and took him into custody, where he is now facing charges related to the incident.

So let's see...pointed a gun at officers, refused to comply with police orders, fired a shot at officers and bystanders. No lethal force applied, taken into custody alive. I wonder what the difference was? Couldn't possibly be that the perpetrator was white, could it?

Your story is extremely short of details. While it is possible these officers decided to put their lives at risk to disarm this individual it is also possible that the situation developed in such a way that it made shooting him an unrealistic possibility at the time.

Take this story for example - Source

One can see why shooting the robber in this situation wasn't a safe option.

In the end I question your standards. What does one story ever prove? It would be one thing if you could show a trend of police risking their lives to disarm white gunman while shooting black gunman but you don't even attempt that. What you did here is the same as the bush administration screaming "we found shells with sarin residue!! WMD in Iraq confirmed!"

[Terralthra]

You said based on blurry pixels that Antonio Martin pointed a gun, and therefore killing him was justified. How many white dudes who point guns at police officers do I need to show you in order for you to acknowledge that the way black people and white people are treated is different?

How about this guy, who pointed his gun at police and refused to disarm? Apprehended alive.

We all know about Cliven Bundy, who pointed rifles at federal agents. They backed off and let him do what he wanted.

There's also this dude, who also refused to put down his weapon when ordered to by police. Oh well. Eventually convinced to disarm after 40 minutes that armed black men don't seem to get. No charges, weapon returned to him. Not even a good old "resisting arrest"!

How many stories need I show you of white dudes pointing guns and refusing to put them down when ordered by police, and how many unarmed black men shot by police who swore they saw something?

How about this lovely story of a black police officer dragged out of his van, shot 28 times, and then sentenced to 40 years for "attempted murder" of the 4 police officers who shot him 28 times? There's no evidence he ever fired his service revolver, and the sole non-police witness more or less corroborates that he was dragged out of his car and shot a bunch by police with no real provocation.

Of course he's black and the four police officers (no charges!) are white. The police association involved put out a statement saying that the officers involved were lucky to survive the 17 bullets that Morgan managed to somehow fire at them from his six-shot revolver.

[Simon_Jester]

You said based on blurry pixels that Antonio Martin pointed a gun, and therefore killing him was justified. How many white dudes who point guns at police officers do I need to show you in order for you to acknowledge that the way black people and white people are treated is different?

What you need is actual data, as opposed to anecdotes. An anecdote is only useful if we have comprehensive information about the case. Knowing "the police disarmed the man" is not enough.

Also, I find it interesting that you have dismissed out of hand the idea that the video footage of Antonio Martin even means anything. Is security camera just not supposed to be admissible in court?

We all know about Cliven Bundy, who pointed rifles at federal agents. They backed off and let him do what he wanted.

Bundy had a small army worth of goons at his back, and engaging him violently would have resulted in a repeat of the Waco disaster. The people killed at Waco when the federal government went in shooting were, by the way, white.

There's also this dude, who also refused to put down his weapon when ordered to by police. Oh well. Eventually convinced to disarm after 40 minutes that armed black men don't seem to get. No charges, weapon returned to him. Not even a good old "resisting arrest"!

Agreed; this is blatant case of (probably suburban) police coddling someone who should not have been coddled. Charges should have been filed.

How many stories need I show you of white dudes pointing guns and refusing to put them down when ordered by police, and how many unarmed black men shot by police who swore they saw something?

Has anyone tried to count them all? That would make for some very compelling statistics in my opinion; it's just that you can't declare victory in the argument by having a bigger anecdote collection even if you're right.

How about this lovely story of a black police officer dragged out of his van, shot 28 times, and then sentenced to 40 years for "attempted murder" of the 4 police officers who shot him 28 times? There's no evidence he ever fired his service revolver, and the sole non-police witness more or less corroborates that he was dragged out of his car and shot a bunch by police with no real provocation.

Of course he's black and the four police officers (no charges!) are white. The police association involved put out a statement saying that the officers involved were lucky to survive the 17 bullets that Morgan managed to somehow fire at them from his six-shot revolver.

This sounds like blatantly corrupt police (as in the destroying of evidence and failure to present evidence of rounds fired by Morgan) and a drooling idiot jury; racism is clearly a factor but there is more than racism going on here.

[Terralthra]

You said based on blurry pixels that Antonio Martin pointed a gun, and therefore killing him was justified. How many white dudes who point guns at police officers do I need to show you in order for you to acknowledge that the way black people and white people are treated is different?

What you need is actual data, as opposed to anecdotes. An anecdote is only useful if we have comprehensive information about the case. Knowing "the police disarmed the man" is not enough.

Statistics are amazing. Black youths (15-19) are roughly 21 times more likely to be shot by police than white youths the same age.

Also, I find it interesting that you have dismissed out of hand the idea that the video footage of Antonio Martin even means anything. Is security camera just not supposed to be admissible in court?

I can clearly see that Antonio Martin pointed something at the officer. I can't see what it is from that footage, and neither can you. If you say you can, you're lying. Martin could just as easily have been pulling his phone out to record the encounter. People also have pictures of the scene which don't have a gun laying there, then do.

We all know about Cliven Bundy, who pointed rifles at federal agents. They backed off and let him do what he wanted.

Bundy had a small army worth of goons at his back, and engaging him violently would have resulted in a repeat of the Waco disaster. The people killed at Waco when the federal government went in shooting were, by the way, white.

You had to go back 20 years for your example of white folks dying at Waco. By the way, they died by arson, not being shot, and pretty credible sources say people inside shot each other, not the FBI. After a 51-day siege.

How many stories need I show you of white dudes pointing guns and refusing to put them down when ordered by police, and how many unarmed black men shot by police who swore they saw something?

Has anyone tried to count them all? That would make for some very compelling statistics in my opinion; it's just that you can't declare victory in the argument by having a bigger anecdote collection even if you're right.

People have tried. The problem is that police aren't actually under a legal mandate to report people they kill to any sort of federal agency. 538 and the Daily Show have reported extensively on this complete lack of transparency.

This sounds like blatantly corrupt police (as in the destroying of evidence and failure to present evidence of rounds fired by Morgan) and a drooling idiot jury; racism is clearly a factor but there is more than racism going on here.

I agree that there is clearly more than racism involved.

[Kamakazie Sith]

You said based on blurry pixels that Antonio Martin pointed a gun, and therefore killing him was justified. How many white dudes who point guns at police officers do I need to show you in order for you to acknowledge that the way black people and white people are treated is different?

Actually, I didn't say whether he was justified or not. I said the firearm is difficult to see but you can tell he is pointing something at the officer. If you are asking what I think my answer is I do think the officer was justified. This is based off the video as it does support the officers statement and the recovered firearm offers even more support to his statement.

It should be noted that there are several facts that are different from the disarmed white man in your first story versus Antonio Martin. Martin was within several feet of that officer and the officer was alone. In your story the distance is unknown. The officer was not alone. The circumstances that led to him being disarmed are unknown. The video of Antonio Martin is cut off just before he is shot so we have a pretty good idea of what took place.

If you want to claim that individual departments or even officers are racist then your examples go much further but it sounds to me like you're claiming that police nationwide demonstrate such behavior. If you want to make such a claim then you need to support it. This lazy style debating that's coming from those critical of police is tiresome. You guys are lazy and you whine like children. Rather than attempting to establish evidence of a trend you simply cite articles that are extreme in nature which I can only assume you're attempting to appeal to peoples emotions in order to gain support. You're doing it here too. "LOOK AT ALL I FOUND FOUR WHOLE EXAMPLES KS!! FOUR!!!! THAT'S LIKE 400% MORE THAN ONE!"

I get it though. This style is much easier than a proper scientific process.

I'll reiterate and expand. You need to demonstrate that there is a trend that police are disarming white gunman but shooting black gunman. I will add to this that that these need to be similar circumstances. For example, if you have an example of police not shooting a white gunman while safe inside an armored vehicle the only acceptable story in this case would be police shooting a black gunman while safe inside an armored vehicle.

Still, you need to establish that this is a trend instead of an extreme situation. Probability tells us what can happen will happen. Just because it does happen doesn't mean it is the rule rather than the exception. Still, I don't find your claim impossible. In small towns with high racism I find it likely but for you to label police nationwide, if that is what you are doing, willing to save white gunman versus black gunman then you'll need to meet a standard.

Frankly, I still don't get why you and DA don't reference http://www.policemisconduct.net. They cover far more stories than you guys cite and they track these stories for updates and record statistical information. You, DA, CopBlock, and the FreeThoughProject do not do this. Part of me wonders if you don't reference policemisconduct.net because they also include examples of cops being arrested and convicted. That flies in the face of the claims that police are never charged, never convicted. Doesn't work for your narrative. I get it.

How about this guy, who pointed his gun at police and refused to disarm? Apprehended alive.

He fled after pointing the weapon at them. That tells me they didn't have containment up. It tells me that maybe they also didn't have a shot or a safe shot. Their backdrop could have been populated by innocents or simply not feasible due to distance. Example - If the police were only armed with pistols and this guy pointed his pistol at them from over 50 yards away opening fire would be foolish.

We all know about Cliven Bundy, who pointed rifles at federal agents. They backed off and let him do what he wanted.

This is a perfect example. In this case these people were mixed in with unarmed innocents and it had even been suggested that these people would be human shields. Law enforcement initiating a gun fight would put unarmed innocents at risk. There's also the question whether those agents knew of the snipers at the time. Even if they did know there's also the possibility that they were out numbered and out gunned so starting a gun fight in such circumstances would be suicidal.

Besides, are you able to cite an example of similar circumstances in recent history where police initiated a gun fight?

There's also this dude, who also refused to put down his weapon when ordered to by police. Oh well. Eventually convinced to disarm after 40 minutes that armed black men don't seem to get. No charges, weapon returned to him. Not even a good old "resisting arrest"!

I agree with you here. That is bullshit. He should have been charged at the least. That's one story out of the four you posted that I'm willing to give you.

How many stories need I show you of white dudes pointing guns and refusing to put them down when ordered by police, and how many unarmed black men shot by police who swore they saw something?

You'll probably need to show a lot more than four. Like a lot more. Four is so pathetic I don't even know why you bothered.

How about this lovely story of a black police officer dragged out of his van, shot 28 times, and then sentenced to 40 years for "attempted murder" of the 4 police officers who shot him 28 times? There's no evidence he ever fired his service revolver, and the sole non-police witness more or less corroborates that he was dragged out of his car and shot a bunch by police with no real provocation.

Of course he's black and the four police officers (no charges!) are white. The police association involved put out a statement saying that the officers involved were lucky to survive the 17 bullets that Morgan managed to somehow fire at them from his six-shot revolver.

Probably had something to do with the fact that three of those four officers had bullet wounds. Still someone should have been fired or charged with destruction of evidence and I think Morgan should be set free given the fact that the police destroyed obvious evidence.

[Kamakazie Sith]

Statistics are amazing. Black youths (15-19) are roughly 21 times more likely to be shot by police than white youths the same age.

Now you're changing your argument. Your argument appeared to be that police are more likely to save the lives of white gunman versus black gunman. The statistics of what race is more likely to be shot by police is worthless in such a discussion. I can point you to crime statistics by race. According to African Americans commit 52% of all murders.

The fact is there are many other factors and it is wrong to say that African Americans are more violent because skin color does not determine ones disposition towards violence. What this ultimately proves is using simple statistics is wrong for complex issues.

]I can clearly see that Antonio Martin pointed something at the officer. I can't see what it is from that footage, and neither can you. If you say you can, you're lying. Martin could just as easily have been pulling his phone out to record the encounter. People also have pictures of the scene which [url=https://twitter.com/Y5HUNNID/status/547 ... 20/photo/1]don't have a gun laying there, then do.

Twitter? Seriously? Look at the twitter picture. Can you see that gun in any of those shots that are taken at a distance because I can't. In that photograph on the bottom left where they claim the gun is next to the evidence marker...I don't see a gun there. Those are likely the evidence marker for the casings from the officers expended rounds.

You had to go back 20 years for your example of white folks dying at Waco. By the way, they died by arson, not being shot, and pretty credible sources say people inside shot each other, not the FBI. After a 51-day siege.

The Waco incident began with a gun fight at the front door between the ATF and the cultists. Who fired the first shot is debated.

There is also Ruby Ridge, the shooting of Dillon Taylor in SLC who was unarmed and white. I'm sure we can find more and continue in an exchange of news articles as if this is some kind of point based debating game.

People have tried. The problem is that police aren't actually under a legal mandate to report people they kill to any sort of federal agency. 538 and the Daily Show have reported extensively on this complete lack of transparency.

www.policemisconduct.net is making good effort towards that. However, those that you say have tried have not tried in regards to supporting your claim that police are more likely to not shoot white gunman.

[Dominus Atheos]

A few updates:

http://www.dailykos.com/news/Tamir%20Rice

Why Tamir Rice has not yet been buried six months after being shot and killed by Cleveland police

TUE MAY 05, 2015

Shot and killed by Officer Timothy Loehmann of the Cleveland Police Department all the way back on November 22, 2014, 12-year-old sixth-grader Tamir Rice has still not been buried. This alone is a new crime all by itself. Even though the entire shooting was filmed and took less than two seconds, the so-called investigation into the shooting has carried on for a ridiculous six months.
According to family attorney Walter Madison, Tamir's family is waiting for the investigation to end so they will not be subjected to burying him and having to exhume his body from the ground for yet another medical examination. Via text, Madison pointed out: "The city of Cleveland knows that too. The delay incurs a daily $75 fee. To date, the outstanding expenses are $18k which at some point Samaria Rice would have to be obligated to pay. They talk nice and are apologetic but they are waging war of a different brand."

Beyond the fact that the shooting death of Tamir was traumatic, the artificial delay of this investigation is outrageous. They are acting as if key pieces of evidence or central witnesses are missing. They aren't. This investigation is not being delayed for any substantive reasons, but in an artificial attempt to cause public attention to die down.

The police killing of Tamir Rice and the rampant lie of cases being 'under investigation'

TUE MAY 12, 2015

Twelve-year-old Tamir Rice was shot by Officer Timothy Loehman of the Cleveland Police Department on November 22, 2014. He fought to live until the next day, but died because of the gunshot to his torso.
November passed.

December passed.

January passed.

February passed.

March passed.

April passed.

Here we are, in the middle of May in 2015, and the family of Tamir Rice hasn't even seen a police report from that tragic day where their beloved son and brother was shot and left to die, ignored by police, there on the pavement of his local park.

No officers have been charged, no reports have been released, no grand juries have been convened, nothing.

Winter and spring have passed in Cleveland and we are entering into the summer, yet still no answers have been given into what justice will look like for this devastated family.

The entire incident was caught on film. It took place in broad daylight.

t doesn't take 165 days (3,960 hours or 237,600 minutes) to complete this investigation. Period.

What the Cleveland Police Department and the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Department are doing is what police departments do all across the nation—they deliberately stall and delay their most egregious cases, not because they are actually investigating around the clock, but because it allows the public profile of cases to significantly diminish.

Every person involved in the case of the murder of Tamir Rice could've literally been interviewed in two or three weeks. Attorneys involved in the civil suit against the Cleveland Police Department did just that. It's been 24 weeks.

No tests, no examinations, no interviews take this long.

On January 2, Wesley Lowery of the Washington Post wrote:

Department policy mandates that the deadly force investigation must turn over information to the county prosecutor within 90 days of an officer-involved shooting so it can be presented to a grand jury. It is expected that any independent review of the shooting would also abide by that timeframe, with a final report issued to county prosecutor Timothy McGinty by the end of February.

The 90 days came and went.

The end of February came and went.

Who's going to do anything about it, though? The police? The prosecutors? Who?

Just today, the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Office held a press conference that they widely promoted to the media. Guess what Sheriff Clifford Pinkney announced?

"The investigation is still ongoing. More witnesses need to be interviewed and more forensic evidence needs to be examined."

Sadly, that's an actual quote. He then refused to take questions. Guess why ... it's an ongoing investigation. As soon as the press conference was over, Tamir's family members, yet again, expressed their disappointment in how ridiculously this case has been handled.

This stonewalling is pervasive across the country in cases of police brutality and murder.

Months after six guards killed Natasha McKenna inside of the Fairfax County Detention Center, officials refuse to release the video of the incident in spite of stating that there would be a transparent and prompt investigation.

For nearly two years police fought to keep this video of Lateef Dickerson being assaulted by a Dover, Delaware, officer from the public. They didn't do this for the public good, but to protect their officer.

One hundred and twenty-five days after Matthew Ajibade was killed by police in Savannah, the family has yet to receive even a basic report, and the Savannah police have refused to release the security footage they admit exists of the death.

These cases don't have around-the-clock task forces that are doing all they can to get to the bottom of things. Officials are simply sitting on these cases and doing nothing because it protects the officers, allows cases to escape the public memory during times of tension, and drastically increases the odds that they can announce an injustice with much less public anger.

In interviews with attorneys and family members and police departments, I couldn't find one person able to tell me one specific thing that is currently happening with the cases of Tamir Rice, Natasha McKenna, or Matthew Ajibade.

Think about it. What exactly could they being doing six months after Tamir was killed?

It's a farce.

Find out why 166 days after Tamir Rice's death, officers haven't been interviewed by investigators

WED MAY 13, 2015

Just yesterday, nearly six months after police shot and killed Tamir Rice, the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Office announced that the agency was nearing the end of its investigation and that there were a few more people to interview.
Among those yet to be interviewed are Cleveland Police officers Timothy Loehmann, who fired the fatal shot that killed Tamir, and his partner, Frank Garmback, who drove the car right up to Tamir this Nov. 22. How in the world, one wonders, could these officers have months and months and months to formulate their stories before speaking to investigators?

It's because of Garrity Rights. Heard of them? Most people haven't. Follow below the fold for an explanation.

Garrity Rights protect public employees from being compelled to incriminate themselves during investigatory interviews conducted by their employers. This protection stems from the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which declares that the government cannot compel a person to be a witness against him/herself….
In 1961, the New Jersey attorney general began investigating allegations that traffic tickets were being “fixed” in the townships of Bellmawr and Barrington. The investigation focused on Bellmawr police chief Edward Garrity and five other employees. When questioned, each was warned that anything they said might be used against them in a criminal proceeding, and that they could refuse to answer questions in order to avoid self-incrimination. However, they were also told that if they refused to answer, they would be terminated. Rather than lose their jobs, they answered the investigators’ questions. Their statements were then used in their prosecutions – over their objections – and they were convicted.

The U.S. Supreme Court then ruled in 1967’s Garrity v. New Jersey that the employees’ statements, made under threat of termination, were compelled by the state in violation of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments. The decision asserted that “the option to lose their means of livelihood or pay the penalty of self-incrimination is the antithesis of free choice to speak or to remain silent.” Therefore, because the employees’ statements were compelled, it was unconstitutional to use the statements in a prosecution. Their convictions were overturned.

In short, Officers Timothy Loehmann and Frank Garmback, by law, don't have to say a word to investigators, and anything they may have said to the Cleveland Police Department before the case was transferred to the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Office in January is inadmissible in court.
Contacted via email, spokespersons for both the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Office and the Cleveland Prosecutor's Office each confirmed that they had not yet interviewed or attempted to interview either Loehmann or Garmback. Garrity protections were cited by both offices.

Joe Frolik, director of communications for the Cleveland Prosecutor's Office, when asked about whether that agency had or will ever interview the officers, said:

We have not interviewed the police officers. Here’s how it works:

The Sheriff’s Department is leading the investigation, working with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. When they are done, and Sheriff Pinkney said today that most of their work is complete, the file will be turned over to our office. We will review. We may ask for additional investigative work. We may retain outside experts, if we deem necessary.

Then we will present all of the evidence to the Grand Jury. If they want, the grand jurors can ask to hear from additional witnesses or experts. When all that’s done, we will discuss potential charges and make a recommendation. But the final decision on charging rests with the citizens on the Grand Jury.

Philip Angelo, a spokesperson for the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office, explained:

To be clear, the Prosecutor's Office has done nothing with this case from an investigatory sense. Their only role to this point was to look at the initial case Cleveland compiled and ensure that it was purged/cleansed of any privileged information before our deputies began their investigation. Once we complete our investigation (no more than 30 days), they will then look at all of the evidence we have gathered and determine whether charges have been filed.

As for the primary officers (Loehmann/Gorbach [sic]), Cleveland interviewed them about the incident immediately after it happened. However, because of Garrity protections (essentially "protects" officers from having their immediate remarks held against them in the future http://www.garrityrights.org/...), those interviews/statements cannot be used in our investigation.

The family of Tamir Rice has been waiting for answers for nearly six months. While it’s understandable that police officers have the constitutional right to not incriminate themselves, the family fully and completely deserves to hear the police perspective on why this happened. Officers, in performing their duties, have rights and privileges that everyday citizens do not have. They should also be required to be fully transparent in how they use/abuse those same rights and privileges.

After six months of waiting, family of Tamir Rice makes traumatic decision to have him cremated

WED MAY 13, 2015

Twelve-year-old Tamir Rice was shot and killed by Cleveland Police Officer Timothy Loehmann nearly six months ago. While his family has waited for months on end for the investigation to close, they were told that a second medical examination of his body may be needed at some future date.
Not wanting to suffer the emotional trauma of burying her son and then having to exhume his body from the ground for another examination, Samaria Rice patiently waited on the Cleveland Police Department and the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Office to close their investigations. Expecting it to close months ago, she had no idea that so much time would pass before she could properly bury her son.

The family and the investigators never released to the public the information that Tamir had not yet been buried. When the national news broke on May 4 that Tamir's family was still in limbo, the pressure for Samaria Rice was just too much to handle. A bill in her name for nearly $18,000 accumulated as well, because the family had been charged $75 a day for the housing of Tamir's body, according to Walter Madison, the family's attorney, when reached by phone. Madison made the following statement:

Samaria is a mother first.

Whether or in life or death, her instinct is to care for her child.

Due to an unfortunate turn of events she was faced with the unspeakable decision to finally put her son to final rest or endure this legal morass and its hardness.

After the tremendous amount of support from around the world, Samaria made the grief stricken decision to be a mother. Tamir Rice was cremated.

No longer will Tamir's cold body, scarred by a bullet wound and the surgery to save him, be stuck indoors somewhere waiting on investigators and politicians to play their games.

This, of course, isn't justice or peace. Her son, a great boy who broke no law on November 22, was shot and then ignored by the very people sworn to protect him. Cremating Tamir was no easy decision, but in a society that gives a heartbroken mother so little power to advocate for her son, Samaria made the only decision she was empowered to make.

We can only hope that the deep, unthinkable pain that Tamir's family is facing is just a little less today.

Rest in peace, young man. We will never stop fighting for you.

[Dominus Atheos]

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ss ... rt_m-rpt-1

Cleveland group to announce court filing seeking charges in Tamir Rice killing

A group of community leaders, clergy and civil rights activists on Tuesday plan to announce they've filed affidavits seeking charges against two Cleveland police officers involved in the killing of 12-year-old Tamir Rice.

The group plans to file several affidavits under a rarely used state law asking a Cleveland Municipal Court judge to find probable cause to issue arrest warrants for Cleveland police officers Timothy Loehmann and Frank Garmback in connection with the Nov. 22 shooting outside Cudell Recreation Center.

The law, passed in 1960, allows any person with knowledge of the facts of a case to file sworn affidavits asking a judge to find probable cause to sign off an arrest warrant.

Amazingly enough, that actually worked:

Judge finds probable cause for murder charge against officer who killed Tamir Rice

A Cleveland Municipal Court judge has found probable cause that police officer Timothy Loehmann should face murder and other charges in the slaying of 12-year-old Tamir Rice.

Judge Ronald B. Adrine released the opinion Thursday afternoon, days after a group of local clergy and activists filed affidavits asking the court to find probable cause to arrest Loehmann and Frank Garmback on aggravated murder, murder, involuntary manslaughter, reckless homicide, negligent homicide and dereliction of duty charges.

The judge did not find probable cause that either officer should be charged with aggravated murder. Adrine also determined that there was not probable cause to charge Garmback with murder.

But the judge found probable cause for charges of murder, involuntary manslaughter, reckless homicide, negligent homicide and dereliction of duty against Loehmann.

He also found probable cause for charges of negligent homicide and dereliction of duty against Garmback.

Adrine forwarded his opinion to city prosecutors and Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy J. McGinty.

Activist Rachelle Smith, a member of the group that filed the affidavits, said Thursday that she was pleased with the judge's recommendation.

"This isn't the end of the road, but it's a step and it's encouraging," she said.

The Rice family also welcomed the opinion.

"We are grateful that the wheels of justice are starting to turn," they said in a statement.

Edward Little, a criminal and juvenile justice consultant and a member of the group that filed the affidavits, said Adrine's opinion has made him "hopeful justice will take its course."

The affidavits were filed using an obscure Ohio law that allows any citizen with knowledge of the facts of a case to formally ask a judge to issue an arrest warrant.

Adrine did not order the officers to be arrested. The judge can't issue a warrant unless a criminal complaint from a prosecutor exists, according to the opinion.

Still, Rice family attorney Walter Madison called the judge's opinion "historic" and said it is an example of the citizens having a direct impact on the justice system.

"It's a blueprint for the rest of the nation," Madison said. "I can't underscore the significance of today enough."

The affidavits cited the surveillance footage captured at Cudell Recreation Center on Nov. 22 that shows Loehmann gun down Rice as Garmback brought the officers' patrol car to a stop within feet of the boy.

Adrine said the video was "hard to watch."

"After viewing it several times, this court is still thunderstruck by how quickly this event turned deadly," Adrine's opinion says.

Loehmann ordered Rice three times to show his hands from the patrol car's ajar passenger door, police said. He then shot Rice within two seconds of springing from the car, the video shows.

"There appears to be little if any time reflected on the video for Rice to react or respond to any verbal or audible commands given from Loehmann and Garmback from the zone car between the time that they first arrived and the time Rice was shot," according to the opinion.

The court filings were a move to force the judicial system to quickly confront the case.

The Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Department forwarded its investigation of the shooting to the prosecutor's office last week after a six-month investigation.

The prosecutor's office will review the case, conduct additional investigations if needed and present the facts to experts for feedback before delivering the evidence to a grand jury. That process could take weeks or months.

McGinty's office released a brief statement on the ruling.

"This case, as with all other fatal use of deadly force cases involving law enforcement, will go to the Grand Jury," McGinty wrote. "That has been the policy of this office since I was elected."

When asked to comment, Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association president Steve Loomis responded by sending a text message to Northeast Ohio Media Group that included only a photo of a replica gun. Rice had a toy gun on him when he was killed. A safety tip identifying the gun as a toy had been removed.

Loomis has criticized efforts to charge the two officers, and has said in numerous media appearances that he believes the shooting was justified.

[Dominus Atheos]

I guess this is the end of the story, the cops got off scot free, but at least the family received $6,000,000 dollars:

Cleveland will pay $6 million to family of Tamir Rice

As part of the settlement, the city "acknowledges no fault in Tamir's death," according to CNN.

More at link

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/04/2 ... Tamir-Rice

Not that it was going to end any different way. "Cops not punished, Family receives huge payout with the city admitting no fault, nothing changes" was how i would have predicted the ending the day the kid got shot.

I'm tired, I'm going to sleep now. Wake me when everything's better.

[Terralthra]

My favorite part is that the Cleveland Police union put out a letter saying they hope the Rice family will spend part of the settlement money "to educate the youth" on the dangers of mishandling real and facsimile firearms. Say the assholes who actually shot someone.

I am in no way exaggerating.

[Thanas]

My favorite part is that the Cleveland Police union put out a letter saying they hope the Rice family will spend part of the settlement money "to educate the youth" on the dangers of mishandling real and facsimile firearms. Say the assholes who actually shot someone.

I am in no way exaggerating.

That eerily reminds me of many tales on how the police would behave in the eastern bloc....jesus.

[The Romulan Republic]

It takes a special kind of scumbag to try to cover their own asses by lecturing a grieving family on how they should spend their settlement money in a way that implies it was their fault/their child's fault that he was shot.

[Flagg]

Yeah, sounds like a police union. I'm generally light pro-Union, but I see no reason why police need one. Especially since they seem to mainly function as embedded defense attorneys.

[MKSheppard]

It takes a special kind of scumbag to try to cover their own asses by lecturing a grieving family on how they should spend their settlement money in a way that implies it was their fault/their child's fault that he was shot.

Top is the airsoft weapon TR had, bottom is an actual M1911 clone.

All in all, I'd have to say it was some pretty damn heroic shooting skills by Officer Loehmann -- rapidly removing himself from a vehicle that had been in motion only moments before, drawing his weapon and firing in all but the space of two-three seconds, including target recognition; recognition of possible danger; and two rapid shots, of which one connected, a 50% accuracy rate.

In short...hire this man immediately to be the NYPD's chief shooting instructor, as the BLAND CORPORATION noted:

The average hit rate for NYPD Officers involved in a gunfight between 1998 and 2006 was 18 percent. For every five shots, four bullets missed the intended target and went somewhere else..

[Flagg]

It takes a special kind of scumbag to try to cover their own asses by lecturing a grieving family on how they should spend their settlement money in a way that implies it was their fault/their child's fault that he was shot.

Top is the airsoft weapon TR had, bottom is an actual M1911 clone.

All in all, I'd have to say it was some pretty damn heroic shooting skills by Officer Loehmann -- rapidly removing himself from a vehicle that had been in motion only moments before, drawing his weapon and firing in all but the space of two-three seconds, including target recognition; recognition of possible danger; and two rapid shots, of which one connected, a 50% accuracy rate.

In short...hire this man immediately to be the NYPD's chief shooting instructor, as the BLAND CORPORATION noted:

The average hit rate for NYPD Officers involved in a gunfight between 1998 and 2006 was 18 percent. For every five shots, four bullets missed the intended target and went somewhere else..

The psychopath has spoken.

It's too bad the police union didn't maybe push for legislation making it illegal to manufacture airsoft products that resemble actual weapons rather than rubbing salt in the wound. But they must have gone to the "Shep school of sensitivity when dealing with a grieving family whose child was killed for no good reason other than weekend warrior dickbags insisting their toys look as real as possible".

[MKSheppard]

"Everyone wants to do [INSERT_NAME] shit until it's time to do [INSERT_NAME] shit."

What's next? We start feeling sorry for those kids who went out on a boat without life jackets or a EPIRB into an oncoming storm and got killed in FL last year?

[TheFeniX]

It's too bad the police union didn't maybe push for legislation making it illegal to manufacture airsoft products that resemble actual weapons rather than rubbing salt in the wound. But they must have gone to the "Shep school of sensitivity when dealing with a grieving family whose child was killed for no good reason other than weekend warrior dickbags insisting their toys look as real as possible".

Why would the police do that? Guns that look real give them an out. A kid was shot for opening his door while holding a Wii-Mote. People get shot for "reaching into the waist-band" way more than they should. In those cases, charges are more likely to happen if nothing resembling a real gun is found. If a toy gun looks like the real thing, even though I doubt at the speeds altercations are going down that even factored in, means cops can blame the realistic looking guns.

If you want to actually start correcting the problem, you need police trained to not instantly escalate a situation where split-second decisions have to be made, especially when they have advanced warning. If anything, the way they pulled up on Rice was insanely dangerous if he was actually armed. He could have put multiple rounds through the passenger window at point-blank range while the officers would be hard-pressed to return fire while strapped into their cruiser. The driver was a fucking moron and if he was my partner, I'd damn sure never want to ride with him again.

But somehow the "realistic gun" was the problem? No.

[Flagg]

It's too bad the police union didn't maybe push for legislation making it illegal to manufacture airsoft products that resemble actual weapons rather than rubbing salt in the wound. But they must have gone to the "Shep school of sensitivity when dealing with a grieving family whose child was killed for no good reason other than weekend warrior dickbags insisting their toys look as real as possible".

Why would the police do that? Guns that look real give them an out. A kid was shot for opening his door while holding a Wii-Mote. People get shot for "reaching into the waist-band" way more than they should. In those cases, charges are more likely to happen if nothing resembling a real gun is found. If a toy gun looks like the real thing, even though I doubt at the speeds altercations are going down that even factored in, means cops can blame the realistic looking guns.

If you want to actually start correcting the problem, you need police trained to not instantly escalate a situation where split-second decisions have to be made, especially when they have advanced warning. If anything, the way they pulled up on Rice was insanely dangerous if he was actually armed. He could have put multiple rounds through the passenger window at point-blank range while the officers would be hard-pressed to return fire while strapped into their cruiser. The driver was a fucking moron and if he was my partner, I'd damn sure never want to ride with him again.

But somehow the "realistic gun" was the problem? No.

That was my point.