CLEVELAND — The mother of 12-year-old Tamir Rice, who was shot and killed by a Cleveland police officer, responded to comments made by Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Tim McGinty in an exclusive interview with WKYC Channel 3’s Hilary Golston.
Prosecutor Tim McGinty called Samaria Rice’s motives “economic” in nature, while responding to a question Golston asked Thursday night at a meeting.
Rice was visibly shocked by the comments. She said she’s been, “…consistent in my calls for justice for my son … [Prosecutor McGinty’s] actions, as well as his statements, create more bias which gives reason for him to remove himself from the case.”
“If you’re following me … you just know that I’m a mother at the end of the day. I want justice for my son … and I was thrown into this situation. What do you want me to do … to say nothing? No, I’m not going to do that because my child wasn’t doing anything that day … he was playing in the park and that’s what children do,” said Rice.
Rice also used the opportunity to discuss a recent trip to the United Nations Headquarters in New York City and a visit with Democratic Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton.
“This is a good opportunity for the world to get to know who I am,” said Rice.
After the story aired Friday, Prosecutor McGinty sent WKYC the following statement through Joseph Frolik, his director of communications and public policy.
“The response was not about Ms. Rice. We have never once criticized Tamir’s mother or questioned her right to grieve in any way. We have met with her repeatedly and cooperated with her in every possible manner. And we will continue to do so,” McGinty wrote.
READ MORE: WKYC.com
Article, Picture and Video Courtesy of WKYC Channel 3 News Cleveland
