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Tamir Rice Killed By Police, Family Billed For Final Ambulance Ride

By Jane Seedhouse
Published on: 23:01 PST, Feb 10, 2016

Tamir Rice, the 12-year-old boy killed by a police officer in 2014, has a claim against his estate for his final ambulance ride by the city of Cleveland, OH.

The $500 claim and invoice was filed on Wednesday and lists November 22, 2014, as the date of call. That was the day Tamir Rice was shot by a Cleveland Police Officer.

The creditor’s claim, which demands payment cite the cost for emergency medical services rendered as the deceased’s last dying expense under Ohio Revised Code §2117.25(A)(5).

“The Rice family is disturbed by the city’s behavior. The callousness, insensitivity and poor judgment required for the city to send a bill… is breathtaking,” family attorney Subodh Chandra said according to CNN.

“This adds insult to homicide. Ms. Rice considers this harassment.”

The Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association, which supported the officer’s handling of the shooting, has sympathized with the Rice family over the claim. “It is unconscionable that the City of Cleveland would send that bill to the Rice family. Truly disappointing but unfortunately not surprising” said Steve Loomis, president of the police union according to Fox 8.

The claim has sparked outrage, not only by Tamir Rice’s family, but also on Twitter.

The city had very little to say about the claim and invoice.

“This is ongoing litigation, and we do not comment about ongoing litigation,” said city spokesman Dan Williams.

In case you missed it, Tamir Rice was fatally shot dead by officer-in-training Timothy Loehmann. Rice was shot as he pulled out what was later found to be a toy gun.

Rice had been playing with the toy at a recreation center and a fellow park visitor had reported it by calling 911. The caller said that Rice was more than likely a juvenile and that the gun might have been fake. However, the dispatcher didn’t relay that information to Loehmann and his partner Frank Garmback.

Loehmann said he warned Tamir Rice to put the gun down and that Rice left him with no choice. Yet the video shows he shot Rice almost immediately after exiting the vehicle. After the shooting, neither officers administered first aid to Rice, who lay on the ground unattended until more law enforcement arrived several minutes later.

Tamir Rice died in a hospital the next day.

The incident sparked protests and the #BlackLivesMatter movement.

The Rice family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city in the case, but in the city’s response, it said Tamir’s death was his own fault.

Cleveland authorities have repeatedly said that Loehmann mistook Tamir’s fake gun for a real one.

In late December, a grand jury decided not to indict Loehmann and or Garmback. Prosecutor Tim McGinty said the incident was a perfect storm of human error, mistakes and communications that did not reach the point of criminality.

Watch the video of Tamir Rice’s shooting with 911 audio below.

[Photo by @WCPN 90.3 WCPN ideastrean/Twitter]

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