OH - Tamir Rice, 12, with pellet gun, fatally shot by Cleveland LEO, Wrongful Death suit, Nov 2014

[kimlynn]

Grand Jury Declines to Indict Officers.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/prosecutor...ce-grand-jury-investigation/story?id=35977877

 

[bluesneakers]

Grand Jury Declines to Indict Officers.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/prosecutor...ce-grand-jury-investigation/story?id=35977877

No surprise there.

 

[Tawny]

Grand Jury Declines to Indict Officers.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/prosecutor...ce-grand-jury-investigation/story?id=35977877

That's disappointing.

He was 12 and people expected him to act like an adult. He was a 12 year old playing with a toy gun like boys and girls have done since toy guns were first manufactured. But he brought his death on himself? Because an officer opened fire literally as he stepped out of his vehicle, giving no time to react to any orders given? Unbelievable that people blame Tamir for this. Unreal. JMO.

 

[bluesneakers]

Hey, you got to put yourself in the cops place. Take a look at that face. What cop wouldn't tremble with fear and shoot him in less then two seconds after seeing that face? He just looks so dangerous.

You can’t tell him to drop it, because the toy could be real and he might shoot the cop, and a cop’s life is so much more important then the life of an innocent 12 year old boy. We can’t take a chance on one of our "brave hero" cops getting killed by a toy gun.

Image source

Every time I see his face tears well up in my eyes. Why is this okay? What has gone so wrong in the soul of our country that assassinating a 12yo boy is just another day, nothing to get excited about.

His poor family. So much sympathy for them, and for all the residents of Cleveland who are grieving, angry, and afraid.

 

[bluesneakers]

Meanwhile in Connecticut...

Police arrest woman brandishing gun outside Torrington Police Department

Rothenberg then took a position in front of a doorway where police enter and exit (employee only doorway) which is used for officers to get to their police cruisers and stood with the handgun raised and in a shooting stance.

Officers were immediately alerted of the heightened threat and police made contact with Rothenberg. Rothenberg yelled about hating the cops and stated “what are you doing, shoot me!” and “what are you scared?”

She raised the gun and pointed it at officers yelling “boom boom boom.”

 

[KaaBoom]

Lawyer for Tamir Rice family reacts to grand jury decision not to indict officers

It has been clear for months now that Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy McGinty was abusing and manipulating the grand-jury process to orchestrate a vote against indictment. Even though video shows the police shooting Tamir in less than one second, Prosecutor McGinty hired so-called expert witnesses to try to exonerate the officers and tell the grand jury their conduct was reasonable and justified. It is unheard of, and highly improper, for a prosecutor to hire "experts" to try to exonerate the targets of a grand-jury investigation. These are the sort of "experts" we would expect the officer's criminal-defense attorney to hire—not the prosecutor.

Then, Prosecutor McGinty allowed the police officers to take the oath and read prepared statements to the grand jury without answering any questions on cross-examination.

Lawyer for Tamir Rice family reacts to grand jury decision not to indict officers

 

[bluesneakers]

Lawyer for Tamir Rice family reacts to grand jury decision not to indict officers

Was he prosecuting the officers, or attempting to prosecute Tamir? I think Mr. McGinty got it backwards.

 

[Tawny]

The officers were also told it was probably fake. They gave NO instructions and when he reached for it to very likely put it on the ground like you are generally instructed to do when you have a weapon, the officer opened fire. Literally less than 3 seconds after opening his car door, he opened fire. How is that enough time to asses anything? He made no attempts to assess the situation, he simply opened fire.

Also, keep in mind, this officer was fired from another precinct for being unfit for duty on the grounds his "handgun performance was dismal." http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2014/12/cleveland_police_officer_who_s.html

The officers then tackled his 14 year old sister to the ground and put her in a police car after she ran over to check on her brother. They detained and held a sister who just watched her 12 year old brother die. They tackled her.

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2015/01/extended_tamir_rice_shooting_v.html

 

[katydid23]

The officers were also told it was probably fake. They gave NO instructions and when he reached for it to very likely put it on the ground like you are generally instructed to do when you have a weapon, the officer opened fire. Literally less than 3 seconds after opening his car door, he opened fire. How is that enough time to asses anything? He made no attempts to assess the situation, he simply opened fire.

Also, keep in mind, this officer was fired from another precinct for being unfit for duty on the grounds his "handgun performance was dismal." http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2014/12/cleveland_police_officer_who_s.html

The officers then tackled his 14 year old sister to the ground and put her in a police car after she ran over to check on her brother. They detained and held a sister who just watched her 12 year old brother die. They tackled her.

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2015/01/extended_tamir_rice_shooting_v.html

I do not believe these officers were told it was possibly a fake. The dispatcher was told by the 911 caller but she did not pass that info on.

 

[kimlynn]

Lawyer for Tamir Rice family reacts to grand jury decision not to indict officers

Obviously a farce and going through the motions.

 

[seattlechiquita]

Damn. Damn. Damn. Forget for one second Tamir was 12 and black. So, there is an individual with a gun in a playground. It is an open carry state. The cops response is to shoot the individual in question within two seconds? Then, after you shoot said individual down, you provide NO basic first aid care that you should be trained on as a cop? You are either stupid, or an A-hole. Damn.

 

[Kimberlyd125]

I do not believe these officers were told it was possibly a fake. The dispatcher was told by the 911 caller but she did not pass that info on.

I think you are correct.

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/inde...olice_radio_workers.html#incart_story_package

Errors by police radio worker 'significant' factor in fatal shooting of Tamir Rice, prosecutor says

McGinty said Monday that the shooting might have been avoided if a police radio worker had relayed to the officers important information provided by a 911 caller. The caller reported that the person with the gun was "probably a juvenile" and that the gun might be fake.

But the officers were told to investigate a report of someone with a gun scaring people outside the center.

 

[Cubby]

Why wasn't the dispatcher charged for failing to give officers the pertinent information regarding this probably is a minor with a fake/toy gun? That could have made all tbe difference in this case.

I'm glad I'm not the person who called 911. I couldn't live with myself knowing my call eventually led to the death of an innocent child.

I don't care how tall he was and how much he weighed. 12 yr olds have baby faces and don't look like adults. Tamir looked hjs age.

 

[Kimberlyd125]

Just to clear up the "shot in the back" nonsense...

Coroner’s Report
Dr. Thomas P. Gilson, Chief Pathologist (Coroner), did the autopsy of Tamir Rice on November 24, 2014. Dr. Gilson found the cause of death to be a single gunshot wound that tore the inferior vena cava which is a primary vein that controls 2/3 of body blood flow to the lower part of a person’s body. He also found that the direction of the bullet traveled front to back, left to right, and downward. The bullet lodged in the pelvis approximately 26 inches below the top of the head and one inch right of the midline.

http://prosecutor.cuyahogacounty.us/pdf_prosecutor/en-US/Rice Case Report FINAL FINAL 12-28a.pdf

 

[greycoupon]

Unbeliavable. Well, actually I am not surprised they didn't indict. When do they ever? We have had a couple of high profile cases that generally involve cops shooting people in the back ON VIDEO. That gets an indictment. If you are lucky and the media pays attention/ Or there are riots. Although riots certain don't = indictment.

This was a child with a toy. He was playing with a toy like most 12 year olds would. That cop should never have been hired by a police force after being fired from his previous job. Considering he started shooting 6 seconds after getting out of the car I'm trying to grasp how Tamir would have had time to do what the cops said he did. It is just sad. There should have been a special prosecutor appointed here. There will be no justice for Tamir. I'm just really depressed and sick of it all.

 

[Owutatangledweb]

BB

Damn. Damn. Damn. Forget for one second Tamir was 12 and black. So, there is an individual with a gun in a playground. It is an open carry state. The cops response is to shoot the individual in question within two seconds? Then, after you shoot said individual down, you provide NO basic first aid care that you should be trained on as a cop? You are either stupid, or an A-hole. Damn.

There is a difference between "open carrying" which is legal in Ohio and "brandishing a firearm" by pointing it at people which is NOT legal in Ohio. The early videos clearly show Tamit pointing the gun at people walking by. However,I do agree that the two glaring errors are the dispatcher not passing on pertinent information and then failure to provide medical care. But those two thing equal civil suit, not murder charges.

 

[TheDuchess]

If you watch the video, the most clearly compelling case for exonerating the officer is the frame immediately following the first shot. Watch it...the officer clearly and immediately RETREATS toward the back of the vehicle. To me, this is all of the evidence that is required for his defense - proof positive that he was in fear for his life.

 

[TheDuchess]

Unbeliavable. Well, actually I am not surprised they didn't indict. When do they ever? We have had a couple of high profile cases that generally involve cops shooting people in the back ON VIDEO. That gets an indictment. If you are lucky and the media pays attention/ Or there are riots. Although riots certain don't = indictment.

This was a child with a toy. He was playing with a toy like most 12 year olds would. That cop should never have been hired by a police force after being fired from his previous job. Considering he started shooting 6 seconds after getting out of the car I'm trying to grasp how Tamir would have had time to do what the cops said he did. It is just sad. There should have been a special prosecutor appointed here. There will be no justice for Tamir. I'm just really depressed and sick of it all.

You are wrong - it was a toy being used as a weapon. The orange tip was removed and he was brandishing it in a threatening matter to passersby. When children "play" with the "toy" guns, they typically play with other kids playing with toy guns. This boy was obviously trying to freak people out by using what looked like a real gun, probably trying to look like some of the older kids in the neighborhood. Let's not pretend this kid was simply playing cops and robbers.

I remember very early cases of these guns getting kids shot by police because of the confusion - hence the placement of the orange tips. There have been numerous conversations, media reports, legistlation, etc...and everyone pretty much knows about the importance of the orange tips. My kids have these guns and the first thing I told them was if the tips were gone, the guns were gone. And explained to them that they were to only be used in their own yards and never pointed at people. I also explained to them about the dangers of officers confusing the guns with real ones and to immediately drop the weapon and put their hands up if ever confronted. And if they got shot because of their own stupidity, there was unfortunately, nothing I could do for them. Luckily, they haven't used the guns too much because they are busy doing other things like sports, school, family activities, etc...

This kid knew exactly what he was doing waving that gun around scaring people and his actions caused himself to get killed.

 

[TheDuchess]

Damn. Damn. Damn. Forget for one second Tamir was 12 and black. So, there is an individual with a gun in a playground. It is an open carry state. The cops response is to shoot the individual in question within two seconds? Then, after you shoot said individual down, you provide NO basic first aid care that you should be trained on as a cop? You are either stupid, or an A-hole. Damn.

Do you have a link that discussed not rendering medical attention or that that is even the officers responsibility. I'm not trying to be obtuse, I just hadn't read that and not sure if it is even proper protocol for the shooting officer to render the first aid when I am certain they immediately put the call out.

 

[TheDuchess]

I point one of these at you and you have 3 seconds to decide whether or not to shoot first.