The footage will give you chills.
On Wednesday, Cleveland police released video of the fatal shooting of 12-year-old Tamir Rice. Deputy Police Chief Ed Tomba told members of the media the department released the footage at the request of Rice’s parents Samaria Rice and Leonard Warner.
Rice was playing with an “airsoft-type” gun, which isn’t real and shoots plastic pellets, not bullets. The orange safety cap was removed and officers have maintained they weren’t able to distinguish Rice’s “toy” from a real firearm.
In the 30 second clip posted by Cleveland’s WKYC-TV, officers Timothy Loehmann and Frank Garmback arrive on the scene near the Cudell Recreation Center on Saturday.
Officer Loehmann fires at Rice almost immediately after exiting the vehicle’s passenger side. Tomba said in the press conference “1.5 to 2 seconds” elapsed between the officer’s arrival time and shots being fired.
Loehmann, 26, told investigators he gave Rice “three commands” to “show his hands” before firing.
He joined the Cleveland police force in March. It’s still not clear if Loehmann or Garmback were given information that Rice’s gun was “probably fake,” as the initial 911 caller described.
The two officers are on administrative leave, according to Tomba.
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