Monday, April 25, 2016

City of Cleveland Settles Tamir Rice Lawsuit for $6 Million
Cleveland has reached a $6 million settlement in a lawsuit over the killing of Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old black boy shot by a white cop while holding a pellet gun outside a recreation center, the mayor's office confirmed.

The incident unfolded on Nov. 22, 2014: A police cruiser raced in front of a Cleveland recreation center and rolled up alongside 12-year-old Tamir Rice.

One of the two police officers inside the car jumped out and fired his service weapon twice. Rice, who earlier had been flashing around a toy pellet gun, crumpled onto the snowy soil.

The incident lasted less than two seconds.

The choppy surveillance footage of the fatal shooting stoked public outrage and prompted calls for police reform.

The death of the young black boy also became the latest example in the national debate over policing in minority communities and what constitutes a justifiable use of force — a rallying point for the "Black Lives Matter" movement.

A grand jury declined to bring charges against the officers, and a federal civil rights investigation is pending.

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