By ideastream's Brian Bull
The surviving relatives of Tamir Rice were upset when a grand jury declined to indict the two officers involved in the fatal shooting of the 12-year-old in November 2014.
Now a bill for the ambulance ride and life support services for Tamir is adding to that pain.
A claim filed by the City of Cleveland in Cuyahoga County probate court notifies the Rice family estate that it owes $500 for mileage and advanced life support while their son was driven to a MetroHealth medical center.
Subodh Chandra is an attorney representing the Rice family. He shared this statement with WCPN last night:
"The Rice family is disturbed by the city's behavior. The callousness, insensitivity, and poor judgment required for the city to send a bill—its own police officers having slain 12-year-old Tamir—is breathtaking. This adds insult to homicide. And the Rice family considers this a form of harassment."
Rice had been carrying a realistic-looking air pellet gun outside the Cudell Recreation Center on November 22 nd, 2014, when someone called 911. A responding rookie officer shot the boy within seconds after his squad car pulled up to the 12-year-old.
Neither officer administered first aid to Rice. Four minutes had passed before an FBI agent arrived and tended to the wounded boy.
An email sent to the city’s assistant law director has not been responded to as of yet.