Tamir Rice Protesters Tie Up Cleveland Traffic

“We all believe that not only has Mr. McGinty brought ridicule and embarrassment to our community, he has made intemperate remarks, disparaged the families of victims and has wasted hundreds of thousands of dollars and man-hours to deny justice in police involved shootings”, the coalition of Cleveland activists said in a statement today.

County Prosecutor Tim McGinty announced on Monday that trainee officer Timothy Loehmann and his field training officer would not be charged due to “indisputable” evidence that the boy was reaching for a gun.

Kasich said he has also asked his head of public safety to look at improving standards for dispatchers after it appeared that the dispatcher did not relay information to police that Rice was possibly brandishing a toy gun, not a real one. And he said Tamir was big for his age – 5-foot-7 and 175 pounds, with a men’s XL jacket and size-36 trousers – and could have easily passed for someone much older.

In December 2014, a federal probe launched by the Justice Department – well before the Rice shooting – found that Cleveland police had engaged in a pattern of using excessive force.

They said they were “saddened and disappointed by this outcome – but not surprised”, accusing the prosecutor of “abusing and manipulating the grand jury process to orchestrate a vote against indictment”. “We are calling on activists from all across the country to be here in Cleveland with us”. But Kasich called for cooler heads to prevail in the wake of the grand jury’s decision. Rice’s family has filed a civil lawsuit over his death.

As people showed up to support the event, they were handed candles and offered coffee or hot chocolate. The Justice Department and FBI have been monitoring the investigation and will continue an independent review of Rice’s death a spokesman said. On Monday, prosecutors said a grand jury concluded that Loehmann reasonably believed that it was a real gun and that his life was in danger.

“Police are mostly criticized for not responding”, Hilow said.

Police Chief Calvin Williams says officers won’t take an aggressive approach toward the protesters unless things turn violent.

The 11 a.m. news conference was held at the Cleveland NAACP branch on Miles Avenue.

Case Western Reserve University law professor Lewis Katz said the city would be vulnerable at trial because of the failure of the 911 call taker to pass on key information – namely, that the caller said the gunman was probably a juvenile and the gun probably wasn’t real.