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Mother Of Tamir Rice Says Her Son's Death Shows A Corrupt System

Tony Dejak/The Associated Press

 

   

The mother of a 12 year old boy who was shot and killed by Cleveland police in 2014 says the lack of charges in the case is evidence of a broken system. 

Samaria Rice will discuss the death of her son Tamir, and preventing other tragedies, during an event at Kalamazoo College Wednesday. The event begins at 5:15 p.m. at Stetson Chapel.

Tamir Rice was shot and killed by a police officer in November of 2014 as he played with a toy gun. A grand jury refused to indict the two officers involved in the case. Samaria Rice says she still wants the officers to face charges. 

"You have no accountability for their actions."

She says Tamir’s death is evidence of larger, systemic problems. 

"How are people going to trust them?... it needs to start with the system, it needs to be rebuilt."

Asked what she would want people to know about her son, Rice says 

"Tamir was a bright and loving child."

Samaria Rice says her son was "the breath that gives me life." And she says people should remember Tamir as 

"A little boy playing in the park."

Gordon Evans became WMUK's Content Director in 2019 after more than 20 years as an anchor, host and reporter. A 1990 graduate of Michigan State, he began work at WMUK in 1996.
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