At this morning's press conference, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy McGinty gave several statements regarding the shooting of Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old boy.
McGinty chiefly blamed the toy company that made the gun that Tamir Rice allegedly pulled from his waistband while playing in the park. "If the color and design of Tamir's gun had screamed toy," McGinty said, then this wouldn't have happened.
After expressing regret for the incident, he said the person who called in the potential "active shooter" incident didn't describe the person as a young boy with a toy gun. McGinty then said that these events must be "judged from the perspective of a reasonable officer on the scene," that "officers are forced to make split-second judgements," and that, based on the information he had at the time, the officer did what we'd expect an officer to do.
McGinty closed by urging others to express opinions about this non-indictment in a "peaceful and lawful manner."
Following McGinty's remarks, Matt Meyer, chief of public corruption unit, began to reveal evidence investigators had collected since the shooting.
He said that a friend of Rice's had told police that Rice spent "several hours" playing at the park with a replica firearm, and that Rice had "removed the orange safety tip" that came with the gun.
Meyer played tape of the dispatcher, who described the "active shooter" as a "black male sitting on a swing wearing a camouflage hat."
Notably, the LA Times reported back in November of last year that the 911 caller told the dispatcher that Rice's gun was "probably a fake." You can listen to his call here.
Tamir's family is "saddened but not surprised" by this outcome. That sentiment is shared by many:
Statement from the attorneys for the family of Tamir Rice https://t.co/uIIe8kk1DG pic.twitter.com/Kbc3UaiBQB
— Wesley Lowery (@WesleyLowery) December 28, 2015
Yeah. Knew this was coming. For me the saddest in the recent parade. City should be ashamed of itself. https://t.co/OqTLWHuhhO
— Ta-Nehisi Coates (@tanehisicoates) December 28, 2015
This is a note left at the site Tamir Rice was shot, in June. pic.twitter.com/l7MA4UI0ET
— Michelle Dean (@michelledean) December 28, 2015
Agreed:
This idea that in ambiguous situations cops need to roll in and TAKE IMMEDIATE CONTROL is frequently disastrous and needs reconsidering.
— Jesse Singal (@jessesingal) December 28, 2015