On November 22, 2014, Tamir Rice, a twelve-year-old Black boy, was killed on the west side of Cleveland, Ohio, by Timothy Loehmann, a 26-year-old white Cleveland police officer. Tamir was shot outside the Cudell Recreation Center after officers responded to a call about a male with a gun. The “gun” was later identified as a toy airsoft pistol. Loehmann and his partner sped up to Tamir and within less than 2 seconds of exiting the police car, Loehmann fired 2 shots at Tamir, hitting him in the abdomen. Tamir died the following day in the hospital.
The Ohio grand jury did not indict Loehmann or his partner, Frank Garmback. The Justice Department refused to bring federal criminal charges. Two and a half years later officer Loehmann was fired for lying on his application (not for killing Tamir) and his partner, officer Garmback, was suspended for 10 days.
Tamir was the youngest of Samaria Rice’s 4 children. She describes him as affectionate,loving, helpful and funny. He was still playing with trucks, Legos and watching cartoons. His murder became a symbol of Black Lives Matter around the country and the world.
This interview with Tamir’s mother, Samaria Rice, was recorded on September 22, 2023 at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Cleveland in Shaker Heights, OH.
Interview Questions:
1. Would you like to tell us what Tamir was like?
2. It has been 8 years since your son’s murder. Can you give us some idea of how you handled the process of grieving as your family increasingly became part of the national conversation surrounding police brutality?
3. I think people would like to hear about your journey. In what ways have losing Tamir impacted your loved ones?
4. “Justice for Tamir” has become an international rallying cry for the movement. What are your thoughts about that, and if justice is possible in these instances?
5. Can you tell us about your efforts to get justice from the legal system, and where they stand currently?
6. Not every loved one left behind after a police murder handles it the same way. What propelled you towards becoming an activist, and has it changed you at all?
7. What activist efforts have you been involved with and where do you see these efforts headed in the future?
8. Can you tell us more about the Tamir Rice Foundation, its goals, and what impact you hope to have in Cleveland?
9. The Summer of George Floyd brought about anti-police brutality uprisings on a global scale. How did this impact you and your loved ones?
10. What do you think activists fighting in this movement against police brutality should focus on?
Produced by Right the Record, Exposing Police Violence in Cleveland
Videography, sound and editing by John Bacon
Carol Steiner conducted the interview