CLEVELAND — Nov. 22, 2014. That date, 10 years ago today, is when 12-year-old Tamir Rice was shot and killed by a Cleveland police officer outside of the Cudell Recreation Center.
The City Club of Cleveland hosted a panel Friday to mark 10 years since Tamir was shot. His mother, Samaria Rice, was set to jjoin a panel discussion alongside the following:
- Subodh Chandra: Founder and Managing Partner, The Chandra Law Firm LLC
- LaTonya Goldsby: President, Black Lives Matter Cleveland
“Ten years on, we take a moment to remember Tamir Rice, contemplate his legacy, and to take stock of progress made and the work still to be done,” according to the event listing from the City Club of Cleveland.
The event began at noon.
“This tragedy was seen by many to be part of an ongoing pattern of excessive force by the Cleveland Division of Police,” according to the event’s site. “In the intervening years, many reform efforts, including a consent decree and a new citizen-led oversight commission, have been attempted and implemented to not only reduce violence but also improve relations between police and the communities they serve.”
Police had responded to the scene after a 911 caller reported “a guy with a pistol” who was pointing it at people, while also saying “it’s probably fake.”
Tamir had a pellet gun without the orange safety tip in his possession at the time of the shooting.
Timothy Loehmann, the former Cleveland police officer who shot Tamir, recently resigned from his position with a West Virginia police force.
A Cuyahoga County grand jury did not issue any charges in the case.