There is footage that reveals the disturbing aftermath of the shooting that left 12-year-old Tamir Rice dead.
Cleveland.com unleashed the video against the wishes of city officials, who were anxious about the idea of public consumption, but they clearly lost that fight and after viewing the 30-minute footage, we can see why its release was being blocked.
It is a disturbing piece of evidence that demonstrates the gross misconduct of white police officers towards people of color – and in the case children of color.
The video shows Rice’s 14-year-old sister trying to get to her dying brother after being shot in the stomach by Timothy Loehmann, a police officer who we now know had displayed emotional inconsistencies that got him fired from a previous department and somehow he still managed to get hired somewhere else.
As the girl rushes to her brother’s side, Loehmann’s partner, Frank Garmback intervenes and brutally knocks her to the ground, and after a brief struggle, proceeds to handcuff the teen and load her into their car. All this transpires a few feet away from where her brother lies on the ground, bleeding to death.
The worst of it is that during all the chaos, neither of the police officers shows any concern for Tamir Rice who is barely alive and clearly needs medical attention.
About four minutes after the shooting, a passerby who turned out to be an FBI agent administers first aid and then shortly after that paramedics arrive to transport the mortally wounded youngster to a local hospital.
The incompetency of Loehmann and Garmback is hard to watch and fathom particularly when you consider the fact that they supposedly took an oath that requires them to “protect and serve” members of the community. Not only did they fail to live up to their obligations but they also exerted their power in ways that produced tragic results.
Police brutality is certainly not a phenomenon or a myth and until the fibers of injustice are repelled – video footage showing children of color being assaulted and killed will continue to exist.