>>> SAMARI RICES SON WAS KILLED
IN CLEVELAND, OHIO. TAMIR WAS JUST 12 YEARS OLD.
HERES A LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED.
PLEASE BE WARNED THE VIDEO
YOURE ABOUT TO SEE YOU MAY FIND
DISTURBING.
DISTURBING.
TAMIR RICE WAS 12 YEARS OLD WHEN
HE WAS SHOT AND KILLED BY
POLICE. >> THERE WAS A GUY AND THERE WAS
A PISTOL.
A PISTOL.
HE WAS POINTING IT AT EVERYBODY. >> Reporter: SOMEONE CALLED 911.
>> Reporter: SOMEONE CALLED 911 TO RECORD WHAT THEY THOUGHT
COULD BE A PERSON WITH A GUN.
>> ITS PROBABLY FAKE.
>> Reporter: TWO CLEVELAND POLICE OFFICERS RESPONDED TO THE
SCENE.
SCENE.
>> PROBABLY A JUVENILE, YOU KNOW?OBABLY A JUVENILE, YOU
KNOW?
>> Reporter: WHEN THEY DID, THEY LACKED CRUCIAL INFORMATION. THEY
LACKED CRUCIAL INFORMATION. ACCORDING TO SEVERAL REPORTS,
THE 911 DISPATCHER FAILED TO
TELL THE RESPONDING OFFICERS ALL OF WHAT THE CALLER HAD SHARED.LL
OF WHAT THE CALLER HAD SHARED. THE GUN COULD BE A FAKE.
THE PERSON COULD BE A MINOR.
AND THE SITUATION TURNED DEADLY.
WATCH.
WATCH.
A POLICE CAR PULLED UP TO THE
SCENE.
AROUND 3:30 P.M., WITHIN SECONDS OF ARRIVING, ROOKIE OFFICER,ONDS
OF ARRIVING, ROOKIE OFFICER, TIMOTHY LOMAN TAKES OUT HIS GUN
AND SHOOTS TAMIR RICE.
>> THIS IS AN OBVIOUS TRAGIC
EVENT
EVENT EVENT.
EVENT. THREE COMMAND WERE GIVEN TO SHOW
YOUR HANDS, BY THE OFFICER, AS
HE PULLED UP TO THE GAZEBO
THERE.
THERE.
>> Reporter: RICE DIED IN THE
HOSPITAL THE NEXT DAY.
THE FAMILY RESPONDED AFTER THE
POLICE RELEASED THE SURVEILLANCE VIDEO. RELEASED THE SURVEILLANCE
VIDEO.
>> WE HAVE SEEN THE VIDEO THAT SHOWS OUR ON THE,SON, TAMIR, BEI
AND KILLED BY A POLICE OFFICER.
IT IS OUR BELIEF THIS COULD HAVE
BEEN AVOIDED.
BEEN AVOIDED. WELL AVAT THE RESULTS OF THE
INVESTIGATION.
INVESTIGATION.
A GRAND JURY CONSIDERED WHETHER THE OFFICER SHOULD BEED WHETHER
THE OFFICER SHOULD BE PROSECUTORED.
PROSECUTORED.
>> BASED ON THE EVIDENCE THEY HEARD AND THE LAW AS IT APPLIES
TO POLICE USE OF DEADLY FORCE,
THE GRAND JURY DECLINED TO BRING
CHARGES AGAINST CLEVELAND POLICE
OFFICERS.
OFFICERS.
THAT WAS ALSO MY RECOMMENDATION
AND THAT AFTER OUROF OUR OFFICE,
REVIEWING THE INVESTIGATION AND
THE LAW.
>> Reporter: TAMIRS MOTHER LEFT
TO MOURN AN UNTHINKABLE LOSS. >> TAMIR WAS A BRIGHT CHILD..
>> TAMIR WAS A BRIGHT CHILD. HE HAD A PROMISING FUTURE.
YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY JUST LOVED
HIM.
HIM.
>> TAMIR RICES DEATH SPARKED
PROTESTS WITH PEOPLE ASKING HOW
COULD THIS HAPPEN TO A
12-YEAR-OLD BOY.
THE OFFICERS WERE PLACED ON PAID
ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE.
ONE WAS FIRED.
ACCORDING TO THE CLEVELAND P.D., IT WAS NOT RELATED TO THED P.D.,
IT WAS NOT RELATED TO THE SHOOTING.
SHOOTING.
THE OTHER WAS SUSPENDED FOR A TIME.THER WAS SUSPENDED FOR A
TIME.
WERE JOINED BY SAMARIA RICE,
TAMIRS MOM.
YOUR STORY IS NOT PART OF THE
DOCUMENTARY.
BUT YOU AND GWEN HAVE BECOME GOOD FRIENDS AND ARE HERE TO
SPEAK ABOUT YOUR CASE TODAY.
WEVE SEEN THE VIDEO BEFORE.
WEVE SEEN ERIC AND I CANT
BREATHE.
BREATHE.
YOURE THEIR MOMS. WHAT IS IT LIKE FOR YOU TO SIT
HERE AND TAKE THAT IN?
>> WELL, ITS HORRIFIC TO SEE
THAT.
THAT.
THATS LIKE THE LAST VIDEO IMAGE
THAT I HAVE OF MY SON. FOR ME TO HAVE TO SEE THAT, ITS
JUST HEARTBREAKING.
JUST HEARTBREAKING. >> THERE IS A REAL FAMILY BEHIND
EACH ONE OF THESE CASES THAT
GRIEVES AND MOURNS.
AS THERE IS, I SHOULD MENTION,
BEHIND THE POLICE, WHEN THEY GET
MURDERED ON THE JOB, AND
EXECUTED AS TENSIONS RUN HIGH.
YOUR SON WAS OUT WITH A TOY GUN,
RIGHT?
RIGHT? >> YES.
>> YES. >> IT WAS A TOY GUN.
DO WE KNOW WHAT HE WAS DOING
WITH THAT?
WITH THAT?
WHAT WAS BEHIND THAT WHOLE THING?AS BEHIND THAT WHOLE
THING?
>> WELL, A FRIEND OF HIS HAD GAVE IT TO HIM TO PLAY WITH.
THATS WHAT HE WAS DOING.
HE WAS PLAYING.
>> IT WAS WITHIN SECONDS THAT
THE POLICE SHOWED UP THAT HE WAS
SHOT.
SHOT.
>> YES. SECONDS.
SECONDS. I DONT BELIEVE THEY SAID, SHOW
ME YOUR HANDS THREE TIMES.
THEY COULDNT HAVE POSSIBLY SAID
IT BECAUSE THE CAR WAS STILL
ROLLING WHEN HE JUMPED OUT AND
SHOT MY SON.
>> DO WE KNOW WHY THE
INFORMATION ABOUT, I THINK ITS
A TOY GUN, I THINK ITS A
JUVENILE
JUVENILE JUVENILE, WAS NOT RELAYED TO THE
POLICE OFFICERS WHO SHOWED UP?
>> IT WAS A BREAKDOWN BETWEEN
THE DISPATCH AND THE 911.
THATS WHAT I DO BELIEVE.
IM NOT SURE WHY.
>> WHAT DO YOU THINK, HAVING
LIVED THIS?
LIVED THIS? WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE WAY
FORWARD?
FORWARD?
>> AS FAR AS -- >> THE POLICE AND THESE
OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTING
OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTING INCIDENTS WITH AFRICAN-AMERICAN
MEN?
MEN?
>> WELL, WE DEFINITELY NEED TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THELY NEED TO
CONTINUE TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION.
CONVERSATION. HOPEFULLY WE CAN HAVE HEALING, A
KIND OF ACCOUNTABILITY.
>> A COMPLIMENT TO BOTH OF YOU
BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN SO LOVELY
IN YOUR MESSAGING, EVEN AFTER
THE LOSS OF YOUR CHILDREN AND
JUST CLASSY IN THE WAY YOU HAVE
RESPONDED.
RESPONDED.
JUST THAT STATEMENT YOU ISSUED
AFTER THE DEATH OF YOUR SON WAS EXTRAORDINARY IN HOW MEASURED IT
WAS.
WAS. JULIUS, I SHOULD TELL YOUR
AUDIENCE THAT VIOLA DAVIS
NARRATES THE PIECE.
SHE HAPPENS TO BE YOUR WIFE.
>> SHES MY WIFE.
THIS, WHEN LMP DAMECAME TO US WI
THIS PROJECT, WE JUST -- WE KNEW
THIS WAS A HOT TOPIC ISSUE
ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
WE WANTED TO BE INVOLVED IN
SOMETHING THAT COULD CREATE A
CONVERSATION.
CONVERSATION.
>> PEOPLE SHUT DOWN.
>> RIGHT.
THEY SHUT DOWN.
YOURE NOT GOING TO GET ANY PROGRESS UNLESS WE ACTUALLY
TALK.
TALK.
AND SO, IT WAS REALLY GREAT. WITH THESE FOUR CASES, WE WANTED
TO, YOU KNOW, PROFILE THESE
CASES BECAUSE THEY WERE -- IT
WASNT SO MUCH THAT THEY WERE
HIGH-PROFILE CASES, WHICH THEY
ARE.
ARE.
THERES A LOT OF HIGH-PROFILE CASES. A LOT OF HIGH-PROFILE
CASES.
BUT WE WANTED TO -- WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE ASSETS, ABLE TO GETLE
TO GET THE ASSETS, ABLE TO GET THE FAMILIES, ABLE TO GET THE
POLICE, ABLE TO GET THE D.A., WE
WERE ABLE THE GET EVERYTHING IN
BETWEEN.
BETWEEN.
AND THAT MADE IT -- THAT MADE IT
THAT MUCH MORE POWERFUL.
>> IT WAS.
>> NOW, WE HAVE TWO FORCES, FAMILY MEMBERS THAT COULD TALK
ABOUT THEIR LOSS, AND THEN, WE
WERE ABLE TO GET LAW ENFORCEMENT
TO TALK ABOUT THEIR SIDE.
THESE ARE TRAGIC THINGS.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, THIS IS
ABOUT SOMEONES LOVED ONES
UNTIMELY DEMISE.
UNTIMELY DEMISE. WE MUST HAVE A CONVERSATION
AROUND THIS ISSUE AND THE
COUNTRY BECAUSE THESE THINGS
AFFECT -- IT AFFECTS THE COUNTRY
AND IT AFFECTS OUR COMMUNITIES.
>> EVEN THE POLICE OFFICERS IN
THE PIECE WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW
CHANGE IS AFFECTED, RIGHT FROM
THE TOP, STRONGER LEADERSHIP AND
ETHOS WITHIN THE POLICE
DEPARTMENT OF RESPECT AND TO BE
MEASURED IN ENFORCING THE LAWS
AND UNDERSTANDING THE COMMUNITY
IN WHICH YOURE DOING SO.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT.
I DIDNT KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT
OPENING UP THAT FIRST EPISODE
AND SEEING IT.
BUT I REALLY THOUGHT, TO STEAL A
TERM, IT WAS FAIR AND IT WAS
BALANCED AND IT WAS A PIECE THAT
BOTH SIDES WOULD FIND
INTELLECTUALLY HONEST.
INTELLECTUALLY HONEST. >> THANK YOU.
AND ROBIN WAS AMAZING.
TVONE, THEY WERE AMAZING TO TAKE
ON A PROJECT LIKE THIS AND GET
THE WORD OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, IN
THE WAY THIS SHOW IS PUTTING IT
OUT THERE.
OUT THERE.
WERE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT WHAT
ROBIN AND HER TEAM DID ON THIS.
>> IT WAS A BOLD PROJECT.
WELL DONE.