Justice for Tamir Rice

Tamir Rice was an active child, known for going from one activity to another. He loved playing soccer, football and basketball, he enjoyed learning about science and reading, and he loved to draw. Tamir was a loving, caring child, but was also known to be a jokester. His mother, Samaria Rice said, “He was able to keep the family laughing and basically kept us glued together.”

Tamir was only 12-years-old when he was shot by a Cleveland police officer in broad daylight. 

On November 22, 2014, a 911 call stated that there was a man with a gun at the Cudell Recreation Center, the same place Tamir was throwing snowballs and playing with a toy pellet gun. Although a piece of crucial information was not passed along to the responding officers—that the pistol was “probably fake” and that the originally stated man was “probably a juvenile”—former police officer Timothy Loehmann shot Tamir within seconds of arriving to the scene. Tamir died the next day. 

Loehmann was let go two and a half years after the murder of Tamir, but not for anything related to the case. He was instead fired as a result of “providing false information” when he applied to the department several years prior. To this day, neither him nor the other officer at the scene of Tamir’s death have been held accountable for the shooting and killing of Tamir.

This is just yet another example of the unjust killings of Black people—in this instance, a child—by the police in our country. 

Following her son’s death, Samaria launched The Tamir Rice Foundation, which aims to enrich children through after-school programs in arts and culture. The organization also seeks police reform by advocating to change laws and implement new policies. Samaria said, “No parent should have to endure something like this. Before, I was just living a normal life, trying to take care of my kids. Now, I’m not allowed to be normal because of what America has done to my family.”

This past June, Tamir would have been 18.

Sources included below.

How this works:

1. Download the free, editable Word doc demanding justice or copy/paste the letter text to your favorite word processing program

2. Edit the letter text with today’s date, your name, city & state of residence

3. Print & address to the appropriate official (below)

4. Stamp, send & turn up the change
   OR

5. Send a pre-written, editable email (Note: justicefortamirrice@turnupthechange.com is a Group email list consisting of the appropriate officials)

DEMAND Cleveland and Ohio decision makers fire, arrest, charge, and convict the officer involved in the murder of Tamir Rice.

SUPPORT  Tamir’s mother’s foundation, The Tamir Rice Foundation, to help the growth and enrichment of all children through after-school programs and to advocate for police reform.

SIGN the petition demanding justice for Tamir Rice.

ENCOURAGE others to continue the fight for police reform and police accountability.