Sooooooooooo... decision to not prosecute officer who killed Tamir Rice

**Detroit Stylin** · December-29-15, 06:29 PM

What is everyone's thoughts on the murder of Tamir Rice? I'm amazed [[yet not shocked) that there's not been a thread on this yet

**Johnnny5** · December-29-15, 07:28 PM

A terrible tragedy that could have been avoided at so many points, but for some reason wasn't.

Had the 911 operator relayed the caller's comment that it was possibly a boy and a toy gun, this probably would not have happened. If the responding officers had stopped their vehicle at a greater distance instead of sliding on the grass up to Tamir this probably never would have happened. If Tamir's parents would have instructed their son on the seriousness of handling and pointing a realistic toy gun at strangers this never would have happened. Had Tamir put his hands up immediately this probably never would have happened.

In hindsight it's easy to say what everyone should have done, but IMO the calls for criminal charges against these officers are out of line considering the circumstances. In a neighborhood rife with gang violence they received a call of a man in a park who was pointing a gun at people. They arrived and had seconds to react to what appeared to be that man with what appeared to be a real handgun. We all know now that wasn't the case, but at that moment how were they supposed to know any differently?

**Pam** · December-29-15, 07:30 PM

I was surprised they chose not to prosecute. I've seen the video, I don't know how they could justify shooting so quick without giving him any chance to respond. Horrible. I hope there is a civil lawsuit at least.

**Pam** · December-29-15, 07:35 PM

Originally Posted by Johnnny5

They arrived and had seconds to react to what appeared to be that man with what appeared to be a real handgun.

They didn't even have time to see the gun. It wasn't in his hand it was in the waistband of his pants. There was no report of shots fired. They didn't need to drive up with weapons drawn in the first place.

**Johnnny5** · December-29-15, 07:39 PM

Pam, they obviously saw the gun. Please consider the fact that the officers were not watching a video, they were watching this in real time and in real life.

**Pam** · December-29-15, 07:50 PM

Originally Posted by Johnnny5

Pam, they obviously saw the gun. Please consider the fact that the officers were not watching a video, they were watching this in real time and in real life.

How could they see it in his pants? Again, no shots were reported fired. Why couldn't they stop at a distance and talk to him on a loudspeaker? Total overreaction.

**Johnnny5** · December-29-15, 08:09 PM

Again, with hindsight everything that SHOULD have been done is obvious. Both you and I agree that the officers made mistakes and should have stopped further back. Perhaps they didn't see the "suspect" until they were right upon him? Perhaps their vehicle slid on the wet grass? I really don't know.

What I do know is that there's no way in hell that this officer would have knowingly and intentionally shot a 12 year old boy with a toy gun. In his mind in those couple of seconds he was facing a man with a gun [[Just like the dispatch description they had received). I wouldn't want to live that experience one time, this officer has to relive it for the rest of his life.

**Pam** · December-30-15, 07:10 AM

Again, it was not a report on an active shooter. Why did they need to fire at all? They fucked up and they continued to fuck up after the shooting.

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index...hooting_v.html

The video confirmed earlier claims made by Tamir's mother, Samaria Rice, and her legal team at a Dec. 8 press conference that an officer cuffed her daughter as she ran to check on her brother and that officers waited several minutes before administering first aid.

**Pam** · December-30-15, 07:28 AM

http://www.esquire.com/news-politics...ng-open-carry/

There certainly is no point in emphasizing the damn irony that Ohio is an "open carry" state so, even if the cops assumed Rice was 18, and they also assumed his gun was real, they had no cause even to stop him, let alone open fire

**RaumVogel** · December-30-15, 08:24 AM

Good luck convincing me that it is correct police procedure to pull that close to a suspect that may be armed. If they didn't know ahead of time where he was why were they driving in the park and not on the street?

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=tamir+rice

**Jimaz** · December-30-15, 09:40 AM

DetroitYES Home » Non Detroit Issues » Thom Hartmann » Caller: I'm Not Surprised by Outcome of Tamir Rice Case

**Johnnny5** · December-30-15, 10:15 AM

Originally Posted by Pam

http://www.esquire.com/news-politics...ng-open-carry/

There's an immense difference between openly carrying a firearm and brandishing a firearm. One is completely legal here in Michigan and in Ohio and the other is a felony.

There's also no validity to the above quote that the officers had no cause to stop him. They were responding to a report of possible felony offense involving a gun. They had every right to detain someone on scene that fit the description of the suspect.