US$6m settlement over death of black US child

  • 26/04/2016
A man holds posters as he takes part in a protest against the police in Manhattan last year (Reuters)
A man holds posters as he takes part in a protest against the police in Manhattan last year (Reuters)

Cleveland officials have agreed to pay US$6 million (NZ$8.7 million) to settle a lawsuit filed by the family of Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old black boy who was shot dead by a white police officer in 2014, according to documents filed in federal court.

The city made no admission of wrongdoing in the shooting and Rice's family agreed to drop the complaint against the officer who shot him and another officer, US District Judge Dan Aaron Polster, who mediated the settlement, said in the documents filed on Monday.

Rice was shot in a local park by Timothy Loehmann, one of two white officers who were responding to reports of a suspect with a gun.

An investigation revealed that Rice, who died a day after the shooting, had been seen holding a replica gun that shoots plastic pellets.

The shooting was one of several that have fuelled scrutiny of police use of deadly force, particularly against minorities.

Rice's family filed its lawsuit against the city and the two officers two weeks after the shooting.

They had also demanded that the officers be charged, a special prosecutor handle the case and the US Justice Department investigate.

In December, a grand jury declined to bring criminal charges against the officers.

Settlement talks began in early March, according to court documents.

Under the terms of the settlement, which must be approved by a probate judge, Rice's estate will receive US$5.5 million and Rice's mother, Samaria, and his sister will each receive another US$250,000, according to the documents.

Reuters