Kent State University commemorated the 46th anniversary of the May 4th shootings today by looking at the issue of unarmed black people being shot by police.
The event’s keynote speaker was Samaria Rice, whose son Tamir was killed by a Cleveland police officer who thought the replica gun he was holding was real.
In 1970, four Kent State students were killed and nine others wounded by Ohio National Guard soldiers during a war protest.
Ten days later, two were killed by police during protests at Jackson State in Mississippi.
Sponsors of the Kent State commemoration say deaths like this by any government force -- state troops or city police -- are the same. Samaria Rice told the crowd of more than a thousand that this needs to change.
“They really need to start giving us accountability for the murders of our son. You’re using deadly
force as a first resort. I don’t understand why you have the Tasers and the beanbags. Did we waste our money for that? Taxpayer’s money for that?”
A grand jury decided not to indict the officers involved Tamir Rice’s killing. His mother said she is starting a foundation named for her son to help young people with their education.
The family recently received a $6 million settlement from the city of Cleveland.
