But what course of action remains?
The Rice family’s attorney, Subodh Chandra, reminds the public this week that Mayor Frank Jackson has not yet fulfilled his intent to complete an administrative review of “what happened.”
Nearly a year ago, the Mayor and the Chief of Police promised that the City would conduct their administrative review with appropriate due process,” Chandra wrote in a public statement. “The Rice family has waited two years too long for the City to announce its decision. In the meantime, both officers continue to enjoy taxpayer-funded salaries after killing a child, while flouting standard police policies and procedures. It looks like a cover up, and it prevents the family from having appropriate closure. The mayor and the chief must take action now.”
The mayor’s office responded to Scene email today, saying: “The admin process is still ongoing.”
Samaria Rice, Tamir’s mother, yesterday called for the immediate firing of Loehmann and Garmback. She also urged incoming Prosecutor Mike O’Malley to take the opportunity to file aggravated murder charges against Loehmann.
A public memorial event for Tamir Rice is set for 2 p.m. Nov. 26 at the Cudell Recreation Center.
This article appears in Nov 23-29, 2016.
If this POS deliquent poor excuse of a mother was doing her job of parenting this would never happened. She needs to be prosecuted for endangering this child with ROTTEN parenting!!!1
Regardless of how bad or good a parent Ms. Rice was, a child, her son lost his life. Granted, the veteran officer, (training officer) put his partner (a rookie) at risk by zipping the car next to the kid. True, the rookie should of never of been selected to serve on the CPD based upon his record from the Independence police force. The CPD was culpable based upon the selection of this individual. At best, both officers should be removed for not following procedure. Should they be charged with a crime? No.
The Mayor should be ashamed and not forgiven for his hallow words to conduct a fast track and true administrative review. In essence, his inaction is a concurrence of the actions of the officers. I just hope that all voters remember what he has not done for each of you as you parade to the polls next year selecting a mayor.
It astonishes me that I live among apparently normal people who seem willing and able to overlook the murder of a child.
I know I could not bear the burdens placed on Mrs. Rice and her family. I never knew this little boy, and I can’t stand it.
This inaction is not a result civilized people would accept.
Samaria Rice called Tamir her “big gentle giant” who liked watching “Clifford the Big Red Dog,” playing with Legos and filling in his coloring books.
Tamir also, rather obviously, enjoyed pointing a realistic looking toy handgun, made even more so by removal of its orange safety tip, at total strangers enjoying their day in a public access park. And when he was confronted by police officers carrying real guns, responding to a 911 distress call from one of those strangers, he didnt raise his hands or even stand stock still, but instead grabbed at the gun tucked into the waistband of his trousers.
Basically, he committed suicide-by-cop, and in so doing, enriched his surviving family members to the tune of 6 million Cleveland taxpayer dollars.
And yet his mother, who didnt exactly do a bang-up job of raising or teaching Tamir anything of importance, especially given her own experience and that of Tamirs live-in baby daddy as police-arrested felons, continues to excoriate the officers involved and Cleveland itself, because those cops performed their jobs adequately, given all the information they had at hand and that they were too close to him when they confronted him. That was Officer Garmbacks fault; he failed to take into account that the surface of the park was grass, covered with partially melted snow, so that when he hit the brakes at a safe distance away, the car skidded forward to Tamirs immediate vicinity.
And, by the way, speculation by the 911 caller concerning Tamirs possible age and the nature of his weapon, was not and is not information. After all, kids can and do kill, occasionally accidentally, and the gun could easily have been a real one, given its appearance. Plus the fact that many young men in Tamirs apparent age range do carry real, if not exactly legally obtained, firearms. Remember: the autopsy determined that he was 5 9 tall and weighed 195 lbs, leading the veteran officer, Frank Garmback, to identify him to dispatch immediately after the shooting as a male in his mid 20s and to then walk over and kick the gun away from Tamirs side.
And, of course, even though there is no evidence either way for it, Tamirs mother and others of her ilk have raised the specter of racism in his chosen decision to suicide, because the police officers are pale and Tamir wasnt. Remember, just because some rabble-rousers trumpet racist sloganeering, doesnt mean there is any involved.
It’s a shame that the CPD were looking for a child to shoot that day. It’s all Trump’s fault.