Cleveland to pay $6m to settle police killing of Tamir Rice

The family of Tamir Rice, the 12-year-old boy whose fatal shooting by Cleveland police in 2014 prompted national outrage, is set to receive $6m (€5.3m) from the city in a settlement.

The black boy was shot by a white police officer while playing with a pellet gun outside a recreation centre.

An order filed in US District Court in Cleveland said the city will pay out $3m this year and $3m the next. There was no admission of wrongdoing in the settlement announced yesterday.

Family lawyer Subodh Chandra called the settlement historic but added: “The resolution is nothing to celebrate because a 12-year-old child needlessly lost his life.”

The wrongful death suit filed by his family and estate against the city and officers and dispatchers who were involved alleged police acted recklessly when they confronted the boy on November 22, 2014.

Video of the encounter shows a cruiser skidding to a stop and rookie patrolman Timothy Loehmann firing within two seconds of opening the car door.

Tamir, who lived across the street from the recreation centre and played there almost every day, wasn’t given first aid until about four minutes later, when an FBI agent trained as a paramedic arrived. The boy died the next day.

A grand jury declined to bring charges against the officers, and a federal civil rights investigation is pending.

Samaria Rice had alleged that police failed to immediately provide first aid for her son and caused intentional infliction of emotional distress in how they treated her and her daughter after the shooting.

The family would not make a comment.