(Newswire.net — November 26, 2014) — Cleveland, Ohio. – After watching the videotape of the shooting, Cleveland police stated the 12-year-old Tamir Rice did not point toy gun at officer who shoot him, but he reached for it. The video shows that shooting officer was only ten feet away from the boy when he opens the fire.
A pellet gun is a replica of an real gun and unexperienced police officer could easily make mistake. The question, however, remains why officer didn’t shoot to disable rather than to kill, or why didn’t he use non-lethal weapon such as the taser.
Police officers were responding to a 911 call about a ‘man’ with a gun. As reported, the caller said he is unsure if the gun is real or a fake. According to AP, The president of the Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association said they don’t know if the dispatcher passed the information the gun could be fake. Air guns are usually distinguished from real weapons by a strip or spot of orange paint, but police said Rice’s toy did not have a safety indicator.
The police report says two officers approached Rice at the playground and told him to raise his hands. Instead, the kid reached for his toy gun and one of the officers shoot him twice.
“Our officers at times are required to make critical decisions in a split second,” Chief Calvin Williams said. “Unfortunately this is one of those times.”
Deputy Chief Tomba said surveillance video of the incident was “very clear” about what happened at Cudell Recreation Center. The video was shown to representatives of the Rice’s family, but not publicly, officials said.
Authorities didn’t reveal the names of the officers involved in the tragedy, however, a police spokesman said the officer will be identified late Tuesday or early Wednesday, the Northeast Ohio Media Group reported.
The police officer who shot Rice was a rookie with less than a year in the force. He was placed on three days of administrative leave following the shooting.
Upon his return, the officer will be interviewed and the investigation will reveal if excessive force has been used unjustifiably.
The case will go to a grand jury to decide whether criminal charges against the officer are warranted, according to Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy McGinty who refused to share the details.
Meanwhile, international vigilante hacktivists Anonymous claimed responsibility for taking down the City of Cleveland’s website.