Cleveland asks Tamir Rice’s Family to pay for $500 Ambulance Ride

By Cheri Cheng - 11 Feb '16 12:32PM
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UPDATE:

City officials stated that the claim was generated automatically. The city will be withdrawing it. 

Original Story

The city of Cleveland has billed the Estate of Tamir Rice, the child who was fatally shot by a police officer in November 2014, $500 for the ambulance ride and medical services that he received.

In the creditor claim, which was filed Wednesday by Cleveland in Cuyahoga Country Probate Court, the city said the payment, which is overdue, is for "emergency medical services rendered as the decedent's last dying expense." The claim asked the Estate to pay the bill by March 11.

Subodh Chandra , the attorney for Rice's mother, Samaria Rice, released this statement (via CBS Affiliate WOIO):

"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."

Police union President Steve Loomis told CNN affiliate WJW, "Subodh Chandra and I have never agreed on anything until now. It is unconscionable that the city of Cleveland would send that bill to the Rice family. Truly disappointing, but not at all surprising."

Rice was shot by a police officer at the Cudell Rec Center's playground. The two officers, Frank Garmback and Timothy Loehmann, had responded to calls regarding a young black male waving a gun around at the park.

According to the police Loehmann shot Rice when he reached for something that looked like a real gun. The gun ended up being a toy pistol. The shooting came at a time when racial tensions in the country were high due to police brutality against black males.

The officers were not indicted by a grand jury this past December. A federal investigation, however, is still ongoing. Rice's family also has a wrongful death suit filed against the city.

The city's spokesman Dan Williams did not comment about the bill due to ongoing litigation.

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