Tamir Rice Was Just A Boy When He Was Killed

A police shooting in Ohio

Why should Black families have to worry about the safety of their sons when they go out? It is an injustice that racism faces them so often.

Tamir Elijah Rice was a Black boy who was born on June 25, 2002, in Cleveland Ohio. He was the youngest of three children and was described as athletic. People who knew him said he was a pleasant person who had many interests. He died on November 23, 2014, when he was shot by a police officer. He was twelve years old.

After apparently trading something for a toy gun, Tamir stopped at a park near his home. Someone called 911 to say that there was a person pointing a gun at random people. The caller said that it appeared to be a juvenile and that the gun was probably fake. That information seemed to not have gotten to the officers who were dispatched to the park. The person who called 911 was asked a few times whether the boy was Black or White. Why should that be a factor?

According to a police report, the two officers drove into the parking lot and saw some people sitting under a pavilion. One officer saw a black gun on a table. He then saw the boy pick up the gun. The officer got out of the car and told the boy to put his hands up. The boy is said to have reached into his waistband for the gun, and the officer shot him. The boy died the following day from a gunshot wound to the torso.

The mother of Rice said that the toy gun had been given to her son by a friend just shortly before the police arrived. Her fourteen-year-old daughter had run to her brother. The police put her in handcuffs. They threatened the mother with arrest if she did not calm down.

Both of the police officers were placed on paid administrative leave. A year later on December 28, 2015, the grand jury made the decision not to indict the police officers for the killing. It was determined by law enforcement that the response of the officer was reasonable.

The Rice family was subsequently awarded $6 million in a lawsuit settled with the City of Cleveland.

This incident was just one of several high-profile shootings of African American males by police officers. This was just a child who had a toy gun (although it apparently looked like a real one). Tamir Rice became a symbol of how police see Black boys as being dangerous simply because of their color.

The tragic murder of Black boys should not happen. Tamir Rice was a boy playing with a toy gun. Emmett Till was whistling. Trayvon Martin was walking home after buying candy. They were just boys who were not committing criminal acts. They were killed because of racism when they were thought to be older and dangerous.

The Black Lives Matter movement has been important in bringing attention to the injustice that Black people face. Black men and boys are especially vulnerable in interactions with police.

Racism continues to be a huge problem for Black people and others of color. The world needs more kindness, acceptance, and consideration for others. Racism needs to be addressed and eliminated.

[Source: Wikipedia, SPLcenter.org]