WASHINGTON D.C., DC — Editor's note: The video in the player above is from a previously published, unrelated story.
Nearly seven years after 12-year-old Tamir Rice was fatally shot by a Cleveland police officer, Samaria Rice is asking the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to reopen the investigation into her son's death.
On Tuesday, Samaria held a rally outside of the White House, calling for justice for her son who was shot in November 2014 after police received a call about a "guy with a pistol" outside of a Cleveland recreation center.
"I didn't even have a chance to grieve Tamir because I've been fighting daily- every day to make change in this country and participate where to meet the need when it comes to policing," said Samaria Rice during Tuesday's rally in Washington D.C.
In December, the Justice Department declined to file or press charges against any officers involved in the 12-year-old's shooting death. Earlier this year, the Rice family- along with several Ohio politicians including Sen. Sherrod Brown and Rep. Tim Ryan- asked the DOJ to reopen the case into Tamir's shooting.
"The election of President Biden, your appointment, and your commitment to the rule of law, racial justice, and police reform give Tamir's family hope that the chance for accountability is not lost forever," a letter to Garland by attorneys for the Rice family reads. "We write on their behalf to request that you re-open this investigation and convene a grand jury to consider charges against the police officers who killed Tamir."
3News' Russ Mitchell sat down with Tamir's mother for an interview earlier this year in which she told the WKYC anchor that she misses her son every day and still wishes she could bring him justice.
"It's a lot to deal with. America has taken away from me what my son would look like as a teenager, a young man, and even an old man. I've only got the vision of him being 12. That's a lot of pain I deal with on a daily basis as I see other children growing. It's hard sometimes, it's very hard," she said.
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