The family of Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old shot and killed by Cleveland police last month, said at an emotional press conference Monday that prosecutors should indict the responsible officer without consulting a grand jury. They were joined by attorney Benjamin Crump, who represented the families of Michael Brown and Trayvon Martin and now represents the Rice family.
Crump said there is sufficient evidence to allow the prosecutor to act without a grand jury. “The family is very distrustful over whether the local authorities will indict a police officer,” said Crump, citing the recent failure to indict the police officers who killed Michael Brown and Eric Garner, both unarmed black men.
Samaria Rice, the child’s mother, provided a detailed account of hearing the news about the death of her son and her subsequent engagement with the police. Officers threatened to place her in the back of the police car as she reacted to the death of her child, she said.
To bring justice for her son, Samaria Rice said her goal was “conviction.”
The shooting of Tamir Rice, who was playing with a toy gun at park nearby his house, was captured on video, and shows the officers opening fire on the child within seconds of arriving on the scene.
More Must-Reads From TIME
- Why We're Spending So Much Money Now
- The Fight to Free Evan Gershkovich
- Meet the 2024 Women of the Year
- John Kerry's Next Move
- The Quiet Work Trees Do for the Planet
- Breaker Sunny Choi Is Heading to Paris
- Column: The Internet Made Romantic Betrayal Even More Devastating
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Write to Justin Worland at justin.worland@time.com