Police ID Officers In Cleveland Boy's Shooting, Release Video
CLEVELAND (KDKA/AP) - Cleveland police say two officers told a 12-year-old boy with a pellet gun three times to show his hands before he was shot to death.
Authorities on Wednesday also released video and audio evidence from the shooting.
Police identified the officers involved in the shooting of Tamir Rice as 26-year-old Timothy Loehmann, who was appointed to the force this year, and 46-year-old Frank Garmback, who's been with the department since 2008.
In a packed news conference, police released the video and audio records. The parents of the shooting victim demanded the evidence be released.
The shooting was caught on tape last Saturday at a Cleveland playground.
Police say the first video shows the 12-year-old with a gun in his hand. He also points the gun.
A witness called 911: "There's a guy in here with a pistol. It's probably fake, but he's pointing it at everybody… The guy keeps pulling it outta his pants. It's probably fake."
Officers were sent to the scene. They were not told the gun may be fake, may be an air gun.
Police say the next video shows Rice sitting in a gazebo with the gun. Police say that video also shows him pointing the gun.
The 911 call goes on: "He keeps pulling in and out of his pants. I don't know if it's real or not."
Police say two officers arrived, gave three commands from inside a police cruiser for Rice to drop his weapon, but he did not.
Police say the 12-year-old pulled up his shirt with one hand, and reached for his waistband area with the other.
Police say only one or two seconds passed from the time they exited the police cruiser until the time Rice was shot in the torso.
Police grabbed the weapon, at that time realized it was an air pistol with the orange tip removed, which distinguishes it from a real firearm.
Family members of the victim, along with a number of activists in Cleveland have demanded an outside investigation of the shooting.
Family members of the victim are deeply concerned about how quickly police shot the 12-year-old.
Police emphasized the video is being released as the boy's family wished, and it was not an effort to "exonerate" or condemn anyone.
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