The death of Tamir Rice, the 12-year-old boy who was fatally shot last month by Cleveland police after allegedly show what authorities say was an air gun, has been ruled a homicide, the Cuyahoga County medical examiner’s office said Friday.The November 22 shooting outside a Cleveland recreation center is under investigation, and Rice’s family has filed a lawsuit against two officers and the city over his death. The weapon turned out to be a replica that typically fires plastic pellets. The sixth-grader died the next day.
A federal lawsuit filed by the boy’s family against the city and police said two officers waited four minutes before anyone provided medical help to Tamir.The lawsuit also said the two officers acted recklessly when they confronted Tamir in a terrifying manner, driving within feet of him and firing within seconds. Samaria Rice said the officer who fired the fatal shot should be convicted of a crime.The officer’s father has said his son had no other choice because he thought the weapon was real.Several peaceful protests have taken place since the shooting, which has come at a time when police-involved deaths around the nation have drawn on spotlight on departments and their use of force.
Last week, the U.S. Justice Department released the results of a nearly two-year investigation of Cleveland police that found its officers use excessive and unnecessary force far too often.In these types of situations the police officer should of been more aware of the situation because this little kid pulled out a toy gun and without hesitating the officer shot him based on the assumption that it was real without hesitation.A solution to this is officers need to train in awareness because incidents like this could of been prevented if the officer even took the time to look if the gun was real or not. Makes you think why these type of people are enforcing the law.This important problem of police violence was discussed at the United States Conference of Mayors this week.