Listen Live
K97.5 Featured Video
CLOSE

This is a very familiar piece of information. The death of Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old boy who was shot last month by Cleveland police officer, Timothy Loehmann, who authorities claim mistook the child’s toy gun for a real firearm, has been ruled a homicide, the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office said Friday. Eric Garner’s chokehold death at the hands of the NYPD was also ruled a homicide, but the officer who administered the prohibited chokehold was not indicted. So is it possible that Rice’s killer will also get away with murder? It’s highly likely.

MUST READ: ‘We’re Going Backwards’: Amadou Diallo’s Mother Can’t Believe Police Brutality Is Still Taking Black Lives

According to reports, the homicide finding indicates that Tamir was killed by Loehmann, rather than dying accidentally or by natural causes or by suicide. Medical examiners’ homicide findings make no comment on whether the killing constitutes a crime. (This will be Loehmman’s saving grace.) Tamir’s cause of death was a “gunshot wound of the torso with injuries of major vessel, intestines and pelvis,” according to paperwork provided by Christopher Harris in the medical examiner’s communications office.

Rice was pointing a pellet gun at people outside the recreation center before he was shot, police say. A witness called 911 to say that a Black male — “probably a juvenile” — was pointing “a pistol” at people. The caller said more than once that the gun was probably fake. The 911 dispatcher called for officers to respond, but the dispatcher reportedly didn’t tell the officers about the caller’s suspicions that the gun was most likely fake and that the Black male wielding it was probably a minor.

The two responding officers arrived in a police car. Within two seconds of exiting the car, Loehmann shot Tamir. Tamir’s mother, Samaria Rice, has said she didn’t allow her son to play with toy guns, and one of his friends gave the air gun to him. This story hurts our hearts, but what’s going to hurt worse is when there’s no indictment or charges for Loehmann.

We will keep you posted beauties.

RELATED STORIES:

Tamir Rice’s Mother Says 14-Year-Old Daughter Handcuffed After Shooting

UPDATE: Police Release Surveillance Video Of 12-Year-Old Tamir Rice Being Killed By Rookie Cop

52 Percent Of White People Believe The Police Treats Everyone Fairly & We’re Giving All The Side Eyes

 

Tamir Rice’s Death Ruled A Homicide, Will The Cop Who Killed Him Face Charges?  was originally published on hellobeautiful.com