Cyrus Langhorne
The family of late child Tamir Rice will reportedly receive $6 million to make a federal lawsuit go away following his controversial death at the hands of a police officer.
According to reports, U.S. District Judge Dan Polster made a court filing which revealed the multi-million dollar payout.
The settlement, announced Monday, does not resolve all of the lingering legal issues surrounding the 12-year-old’s killing. However, it is a sign that both the city and the boy’s family did not want to endure what could be tension-filled litigation process that could last years. Tamir Rice’s estate will receive $5.5 million, Samaria Rice, the boy’s mother, and his sister Tajai Rice will each receive $250,000. (Cleveland)
Prosecutor Tim McGinty announced an Ohio jury’s decision not to bring criminal charges to the officers responsible for Tamir’s death.
A recent FBI video analysis shows Tamir “was drawing his gun from his waist as the police slid toward him and Officer Loehmann exited the car,” McGinty said. After the shooting, officers discovered it was a toy gun. To charge Officers Timothy Loehmann and Frank Garmback even in a situation that was “undeniably tragic,” McGinty said, “the state must be able to show that the officers acted outside the constitutional boundaries set forth by the Supreme Court of these United States.” (CNN)
The jury reportedly did not see anything wrong in the actions of officers Timothy Loehmann and Frank Garmback.
A dispatcher did not tell them the caller thought it was probably a child with a fake gun. Tamir, 12, likely meant to show the officers his gun was a toy that shot plastic pellets, but there was no way the officers could have known that when they confronted him on a snowy day in November 2014, McGinty said. He said the dispatcher’s failure to provide the information about the “fake gun” was key to the case. (USA Today)
Following Rice’s death, hip-hop artist Jeezy spoke out on police brutality toward African Americans.
Jeezy, who visited Ferguson shortly after the shooting in August, issued a brief statement to MTV News, addressing the emotional events that unfolded this week. His message is as follows: “Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice and Akai Gurley all had their lives and dreams taken by the same people that pledged to uphold the community. This has to stop, may God be with Ferguson, and may our prayers be answered.” (MTV)
