After Fatally Shooting 12-Year-Old Carrying Toy Gun, Police Tackled His 14-Year-Old Sister

By Judd Legum

January 8, 2015--New video depicts Cleveland police officers assaulting a 14-year-old girl moments after they fatally shot her 12-year-old brother, Tamir Rice.

The video, obtained by the Northeast Ohio Media Group, shows that police “forced Tamir Rice’s 14-year-old sister to the ground, handcuffed her and placed in the back of a Cleveland police car steps away from her wounded 12-year-old brother.”

Police resisted releasing the video for weeks.

An attorney for the Rice family, Walter Madison, called the footage “the cruelest thing I’ve ever seen.” 

What’s depicted in the video “confirmed earlier claims made by Tamir’s mother, Samaria Rice, and her legal team.”

The extended video also shows that the officers did not provide CPR to Tamir Rice for nearly four minutes. 

Tamir later died.

The investigation was recently handed over Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department. 

At the conclusion of the investigation, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy McGinty will present the evidence to a grand jury.

I can't imagine a more barbaric take on the wholly unjustified killings of Tamir Rice and  John Crawford than the one given by Jeffrey Follmer, boss of the Cleveland Police union, on MSNBC recently. 

Talking Points Memo has a summary of his monstrous statements:

Follmer referred to the slain 12-year-old as "the male" throughout the interview and defended the officer.

"The video clearly shows, and by the officer's statement, that they were justified in the deadly force," Follmer said.

“You’re saying that the video clearly shows that the 12-year-old boy was an imminent lethal threat to the officers?” Melber asked.

“Oh, absolutely. I don’t know if you didn’t see it, but yeah absolutely," the officer replied.

Eventually, Follmer dismissed Melber's questions about excessive force and wrapped up the debate with a message to Americans.

"How about this: Listen to police officers' commands.

Listen to what we tell you, and just stop," he said. "I think that eliminates a lot of problems."

"I think the nation needs to realize that when we tell you to do something, do it," he added.

Where to begin? 

First of all, the video does not show that Rice was an imminent threat. 

It shows nothing of the sort. 

The police arrived on the scene and killed Rice immediately.  

If there was actual justification, we certainly don't see it.

Keep in mind that there are big questions about the officer's fitness and mental competence.

And although Follmer didn't specifically address the Crawford shooting, video of that encounter  is even clearer. 

Crawford had no time to react―none whatever―to the cops before they killed him.

Just as bad is Follmer's message to all Americans: submit and obey the police. 

Nevermind that that advice would not have helped Rice or Crawford, who were shot on sight before they were even capable of obeying. 

This is the attitude of a public employee? 

Someone paid by the taxpayers to serve the public?

I don't know if Follmer really believes what he is saying. 

I think there is a chance that he doesn't―he's just saying it because it's his job as head of a police union to always defend every single one of his officers' decisions and treat any criticism of them as a declaration of war. 

Incidentally, he just demonstrated why police reform is impossible as long as public employee unions remain powerful.