Tamir Rice (2002-2014)
#NeverInnocent, #PlayingWhileBlack, #PresumedGuilty, #AmINext, #UnknownOthers
On November 22, 2014 a 911 call reported a “a guy with a pistol“ at the Cudell Recreation Center in Cleveland, Ohio. The caller stated that the gun was probably fake and towards the end of the call stated that the person pointing the supposed weapon was probably a juvenile. Two officers, Frank Garmback and Timothy Loehmann, were dispatched.
Video of the encounter documents the officers arrival on the scene and subsequent shooting of Tamir Rice. It is not clear from the video if Rice was aware of the patrol car approaching the gazebo, but he started moving in the direction of the vehicle. Surveillance video documents that Loehmann exited the patrol car while it was still moving and shot Rice within seconds of arriving on the scene. Rice’s older sister, who was present and tried to approach him after he was shot, was tackled, handcuffed and placed in the back of the police cruiser while her brother lay dying. Police said they took this action to neutralize what they perceived to be a possible threat.
After the shooting, neither officer attempted to provide medical assistance, though Garmback did call for an ambulance. Tamir Rice, who was twelve-year-old, was pronounced dead after transport to the hospital. Loehmann later said that he feared for his life and that he fired in self-defense. The “weapon’ that was the subject of the initial call, turned out to be a toy.
In the months and years after the Rice case, several events marked the close of the case for many who were involved. In May 2015 the Justice Department reached an agreement with the City of Cleveland to reform the Cleveland Police Department. In April 2016, the Rice family reached a $6 million dollar settlement with the City of Cleveland. In December 2020 the Justice Department announced the closing of its investigation into the shooting, finding there was “insufficient evidence to support federal criminal charges against Cleveland Division of Police.” Cleveland adopted its own reform early in 2021 when it created guidelines for how police can interact with children.