Alan: I believe exoneration of the police officers who killed Tamir Rice is a gross miscarriage of justice and would not have occurred if the victim were white.
The Shooting Of Tamir White
"Bad Black People." Why Bill O'Reilly Is Wrong Even When He's Right"
"Bad Black People." Why Bill O'Reilly Is Wrong Even When He's Right"
Two Reports Conclude Officer's Shooting of Tamir Rice Was Justified
The Ohio prosecutor gathering evidence in the death of Tamir Rice by a Cleveland police officer released two reports Saturday that conclude the officer was justified in shooting the 12-year-old.
The reports, conducted by a retired FBI agent and a prosecutor in Denver, say Officer Timothy Loehmann acted reasonably under the law when he shot Tamir, who was holding a pellet gun that police say resembled a handgun, on Nov. 22.
A grand jury will determine in Loehmann faces criminal charges in Tamir's death. Surveillance video shows the officer opening fire on Rice within seconds of arriving on the scene.
"We are not reaching any conclusions from these reports," Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy J. McGinty said in a statement. "The gathering of evidence continues and the grand jury will evaluate it all."
McGinty said he released the reports in the interest of transparency. The reports were commissioned by the prosecutor's office. McGinty said additional reports have also been commissioned and will be released publicly.
Subodh Chandra, a lawyer for Tamir's family, criticized the reports as part of what he called a "whitewash."
"These supposed "experts" — all pro-police — dodge the simple fact that the officers rushed Tamir and shot him immediately without assessing the situation in the least," Chandra said in a statement. Reasonable jurors could find that conduct unreasonable."
Tamir was shot after he allegedly refused orders to put his hands up and reached for his waistband, police have said.
Retired FBI special agent Kimberly A. Crawford said in her report that police were responding to a report of a person with a gun, and Loehmann had to make a "split-second" decision to use deadly force.
"Officer Loehmann's attention would be focused on Rice's hands as they moved towards his waist band and lifted his jacket. Unquestionably, the actions of Rice could reasonably be perceived as a serious threat to Officer Loehmann," Crawford wrote.
S. Lamar Sims, senior chief deputy district attorney for the Denver district attorney's office, said the video shows Loehmann exiting the car rapidly and moving toward cover, which suggests he felt there was an imminent threat.
"The officers did not create the violent situation — they were responding to a situation fraught with the potential for violence to citizens," Sims wrote in his report.
Sims noted that a detective on the scene initially thought the pellet gun was a Colt 1911 handgun, and was surprised when he learned it was an airsoft pellet gun.
Video: Tamir Rice's Mom: Justice is Both Officers Being Convicted 1:03
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/two-reports-conclude-shooting-tamir-rice-was-justified-n442341
Tamir's death sparked protests in Cleveland and was held up as an example of what some feel are heavy-handed tactics used by police against minorities.
Tamir's family has filed a federal lawsuit against Loehmann and the officer he was with, Frank Garmback. The suit claims excessive force.
The Department of Justice in December concluded that Cleveland police had engaged in a pattern of excessive force and civil rights violations. The city agreed in May to a broad set of police reforms, including an overhaul of its rules on the use of force, new oversight provisions and training to minimize racial bias.
The Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association said in a statement Saturday that it agreed with the findings of the two reports, but called the shooting "an absolute tragedy for all involved."
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