Judge Finds Probable Cause to Charge Cleveland Cops With Tamir Rice’s Death

AP/Jose Luis Magana

A Cleveland judge said Thursday that he believes there is probable cause to charge the officers involved in Tamir Rice’s death with homicide.

Judge Ron Adrine’s “advisory” opinion follows a push by community members to bypass prosecutors by directly appealing to a judge.

Adrine found that probable cause existed to sustain charges of murder, involuntary manslaughter, reckless homicide, negligent homicide and dereliction of duty against officer Timothy Loehmann and of negligent homicide and dereliction of duty against officer Frank Gamback.

Though the decision whether to actually prosecute the officers remains up to prosecutors, Thursday’s development was welcomed by Rice’s family. “We are very much relieved and it is a step towards procedural justice and people having access to their government,” family attorney Walter Madison told the Guardian.

This is a developing story…