CBS: Grand Jury Decision in Tamir Rice Case Sparks Protests

Cleveland authorities are calling for calm after a grand jury decided Monday not to indict two police officers in the killing of 12-year-old Tamir Rice

RUSH TRANSCRIPT:

MASON: “Cleveland officials are appealing for calm today after a grand jury decided not to indict two police officers in the killing of a 12-year-old boy in a playground. Prosecutors say a video showed Tamir Rice pulling out a pellet gun just before last year’s shooting. There were protests as far away as New York City. More a likely today. DeMarco Morgan is in Cleveland where the county prosecutor says a series of mistakes led to his death. DeMarco, good morning.”
MORGAN: “Good morning. First, let’s take a look at this memorial behind me, that continues to grow since that announcement was made yesterday, dozens of people stopping by to contribute items to the boy who lost his life in this park. You are right, prosecutors say mistakes were made, pointing to a police radio dispatcher who spoke with the officers on the day of the shooting, who they say did not relay important information. Dispatcher never told them they say the officer or officers that Tamir Rice might be underage or that the gun that he was carrying could be fake.”
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MORGAN (voice-over): “Protesters marched in Cleveland on Monday night, hours after county prosecutors announced the grand jury’s decision.”
MCGINTY: “Given this perfect storm of human error, the state, miscommunication by all involved that day the evidence did not indicate criminal conduct by police.”
MORGAN (voice-over): “Enhanced under surveillance video from the shooting shows Loehmann and Garmback drive up to Tamir Rice, within seconds, Loehmann opens fire. Prosecutor say they show him pulling out the pellet gun to give it to police or to show the officers it was not real.”
MCGINTY: “but there was no way for the officers to know that. They saw the events rapidly unfolding in front of them.”
MORGAN (voice-over): “On Monday, Rice’s family says McGinty was abusing and manipulating the grand jury process and hired so-called expert witnesses to try to exonerate the officers.
UNKNOWN FEMALE: “I just wish they would quit using my grandson in vain and do the right thing. Indict them police officers.”
MORGAN (voice-over): “Rice’s grandmother, Mildretta Warner-Davis, calls the decision heart breaking.
UNKNOWN FEMALE: “This is a 12-year-old kid’s life that was taken and they letting everybody know it’s okay for the police officers to do whatever they want to do. There were two officers and Mr. McGinty. They’re going to have to live
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MORGAN: “County officials say that all police off both the Rice family and the officer’s involved.”

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