Nat’l LGBTQ Task Force urges federal probe of Cleveland Police killing

The grand jury had been hearing evidence and testimony since mid-October.

Mayor Frank Jackson says city officials have been meeting with neighborhood groups and clergy leaders in recent months.

Tamir’s family condemned the decision but urged that people who are disappointed with the decision to express their displeasure peacefully and democratically.

Mr Loehmann claimed he shot the 12-year-old in November 2014 because he thought a toy BB gun in his waistband was a real weapon following an emergency call from a resident claiming to have seen an armed man.

“I’m sad and I’m disheartened all at the same time”, said activist Laura Cowan, who participated in protests at the Cleveland park where Rice was shot.

They called for the removal of county prosecutor Timothy McGinty, who recommended a grand jury not indict the two police officers involved in the boy’s death.

Many said they didn’t believe events such as those in Cleveland or Baltimore were less likely to happen here due to Boston police training, as Commissioner William Evans has said. Rice’s decision to step towards the officers and draw the gun was more consistent with the action of a criminal attempting to kill responding officers than that of a child unsure of why police had suddenly arrived. Adrine says he never heard from the prosecutor’s office after his ruling and has no idea if his ruling was presented to the grand jury.

The police officers’ lawyers said their clients reacted to the situation based on what they knew at the time, that a “guy” was waving a gun and pointing it at people, according to AP.

Rice’s family, which has filed a civil lawsuit in his death, has asked the US Justice Department to review McGinty’s handling of the grand jury, which they believe was manipulated to exonerate the officers, attorney Subodh Chandra said.

Officers must treat every potential gun as real until they can prove otherwise. “Now for the dispatcher not to tell the police officer that the gun was a toy gun – that was not a mistake”.

“Now whether that wrong is legal or whether it is administrative, the fact is a 12-year-old has lost their life”, said Cleveland’s chief executive. Police radio personnel gave officers a description of the suspect’s clothing but did not convey that a 911 caller had said the suspect was probably a juvenile and the gun may not be real.

An Ohio grand jury this week decided not to indict Officers Timothy Loehmann and Frank Garmback. Loehmann, Garmback and other officers were surprised to learn after the shooting that Tamir was just 12.

Also, the Cleveland police department reached a settlement with the U.S. Justice Department earlier this year to overhaul the way it uses force and deals with the public.

“If this had gone to trial and both officers were found not guilty, I would have been content with that”.