leaders request a judge file charges against officers who killed Tamir Rice
It's been seven months since Tamir Rice was killed by the Cleveland Police while he was playing in his neighborhood park. The investigation has been bumped around from the Cleveland Police Department, to the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Office, and is now being reviewed/investigated by the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office.
Frustrated by the delays and no longer convinced that the justice system will act in the best interest of the community or the family of Tamir Rice, a group of leaders, supported by local attorney Walter Madison, filed a petition today.
Ohio, it appears, is one of just a few states with a rarely used law that allows citizens, after a collection of facts, to petition a judge that charges be filed when a crime is committed.
“The writing is on the wall,” said a lawyer for Tamir’s family, Walter Madison, who worked with the community leaders as they planned to seek charges. “If you look at every other instance, it ends up unfavorable to the families.”The community leaders said they intended to file their request on Tuesday morning in municipal court. One of them provided The New York Times with copies of six affidavits they planned to file, which outline the crimes they say were committed.
Ohio is one of a handful of states that allow residents to request an arrest without approval from the police or prosecutors. It is difficult to know how the case will play out because there is little precedent for a citizen to request an arrest in such a contentious, high-profile case.
While we have no timeline on when the judge will respond, this is a bold and important move by concerned citizens who are right to no longer idly trust the system.
By Shaun King Follow for shaunking
