Ohio grand jury says no to indictment in Tamir Rice case

December 29, 2015

Editor

The police officers who shot and killed 12-year-old Tamir Rice in Cleveland last year will not face criminal charges.

An Ohio grand jury decided against an indictment, citing a lack of evidence of criminal conduct by the officers.

Filling in for Glenn on radio Tuesday morning, Doc Thompson and Skip Lacombe commented on the outcome of the trial.

"He was at the park with a fake gun, and cops rolled up. They shot him because they thought it was a real gun," Doc said. "The grand jury and the prosecutor all believe that he raised the gun and the police believed that it could be a real threat against their lives."

Listen to the segment or read the transcript below.

Below is a rush transcript of this segment, it might contain errors.

DOC: Is this also an example of bad parenting what I'm about to share with you? Story broke late yesterday afternoon about an Ohio grand jury that has decided not to indict the two cops for the death of Tamir Rice. Now, Tamir Rice, you may remember, is the 12-year-old boy who was shot dead by a Cleveland police officer. Timothy Loehmann. His partner was with him, Frank Garmback. And both of them were presented to the grand jury for possible charges.

Cuyahoga County prosecutor Tim McGinty now says that the grand jury decided they will not indict them. He will not pursue charges. Was Tamir Rice and his death at least somewhat a responsibility -- or -- from bad or failed parenting?

SKIP: Absolutely, I would say.

DOC: He's at the park. He didn't respect law enforcement. He didn't understand -- at very least, he didn't understand that police would think you would have a real gun.

SKIP: How was he never thought that you can't point a fake gun, a real gun, anything like that towards a police officer? That seems to be pretty basic upbringing parenting type of stuff. Or at least the general theme and respect for officers of the law.

DOC: I got to put some of his death on the parents, and that's frustrating. Difficult to say. Some people won't want to hear that. They'll think I'm being insensitive. I'm not. I cannot imagine losing one of my children. Man, it's overwhelming just the thought of it. Maybe most parents feel that way. But I have to put a little bit of this responsibility on the parent.

He was at the park with a fake gun, and cops rolled up. They shot him because they thought it was a real gun. Grand jury says, we're not going to indict the cops. The prosecutor is not going to pursue charges. Meaning, the grand jury and the prosecutor all believe that he raised the gun and the police believed that it could be a real threat against their lives.

The parents never taught him that? What are you teaching your kids at home? Younger than 12 years of age, I knew, you don't mess with cops. I wasn't pointing things at cops. I wasn't pointing sticks, throwing rocks or mouthing off at cops. You just didn't do that. Younger than 12.

SKIP: And you were a troubled kid. But, yeah, there was a certain line that you would draw that officers, cops, that's one area that you don't mess with.

DOC: That's it.

SKIP: For me, again, that's something that I was taught.

DOC: Right. And I think that's it. There's a certain line. Even though we did some bad things, got in trouble, broke the law, there was a certain line you just didn't do. You didn't cross. That was hijinks. Shenanigans. Little things. Still not right. Still not justified. Still you have to pay for your crimes. Still punished by the parents and law and whatever else. But you just didn't do certain things.

SKIP: Now that I think about it, my mom also told me too that if I was ever in trouble, I could talk to like a US postman too. I don't think that was probably the best --

DOC: It was different times back then. Back then, they were responsible people. It was a respectable job. Today, no.

I want to get your calls on Tamir Rice. Again, not going to be indicted. And, of course, the parents are outraged. The NAACP, outraged. Other groups of people outraged. This is just cops gunning down black kids. That's what they would have you believe. What do you think? Should the cops have been indicted? What am I missing in the video? What should the cops have done in that situation with Tamir Rice?

Featured Image: Cleveland Chief of Police Calvin Williams speaks to reporters in the Mayor's Conference Room at City Hall on Decmeber 28, 2015 in Cleveland, Ohio. Earlier that day a grand jury declined to bring charges against either of the two police officers involved in the fatal November 2014 shooting of Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old boy who was playing with a toy weapon at Cudell Recreation Center. (Photo by Angelo Merendino/Getty Images)

VP debate recap: A Vance victory

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This might have been the most consequential VP debate in recent memory.

For those of you who missed the debate, it was a decisive victory for J.D. Vance and the Trump-Vance team as a whole. Vance presented a calm, collected, and considerate side of the Republican party that compliments Trump and helps to make their platform more palatable. Meanwhile, Tim Walz had a lackluster, though certainly not catastrophic, night. He had a few embarrassing gaffes and came across as overly nervous, but like Vance, kept it civil.

Both VP candidates entered the stage as relative unknowns to most Americans, and by the end, both men had given an accurate representation of their characters. Here is a brief recap just in case you missed the debate:

J.D. Vance looked great

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Vance came out of the gate swinging, with a stellar opening statement that helped set the stage for the rest of the debate. He delivered a concise yet compelling recap of his life, which framed him as everything Walz claims to be: a relatable veteran from humble beginnings who earned his position through hard work and service. He then went on to deliver a clear and palatable defense of Trump's platform and mission while cooly drawing attention to the failures of the Biden-Harris administration.

Overall, J.D. Vance looked incredibly presidential. He presented himself not just as a capable vice president, but as a strong successor to Trump and as a valid replacement if anything should happen to the former president between now and the end of his hypothetical second term. Vance also successfully dispelled the notion that he is "weird" as Walz called him, and if anyone looked strange during the debate, it certainly wasnot Vance.

Tim Walz's gaffes

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While Tim Walz certainly didn't have an awful night, he did not stack up well against Vance. Walz had a major gaffe around halfway through the debate when asked to explain the change in his position on assault weapon bans. Walz then claimed that he had befriended school shooters during his time in office. While that was clearly not the intention of what he was saying, it was embarrassing nonetheless.

Another weak moment was when the moderators asked Walz to explain a claim he had made regarding being in Hong Kong during the infamous Tiananmen Square protest in 1989, which has since been proven false. Walz gave a long-winded, rambling answer about taking students to visit China and how Trump should have joined in on those trips, before being called out by the moderator for dodging the question.

Vance fact-checked the fact-checkers

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One of the conditions of the CBS debate was that the moderators would not fact-check the debaters live, but instead rely on after-the-matter fact-checking. But, CBS couldn't keep to its own rules. While Vance was describing the migrant crisis that has swelled during the Biden-Harris administration, one of the CBS moderators, Margaret Brennan, chimed in with a "fact check." She claimed that the Haitian migrants in Ohio have legal status, to which Vance clapped back by calling Brennan out for breaking the rules of the debate, then proceeded to correct her, explaining that they only had legal status due to overreach by the Biden-Harris administration.

Dockworker strike: Everything you need to know

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At midnight on September 30th, dockworkers across the East Coast went on strike, effectively cutting the country's import and export capabilities in half.

Don't go out and panic buy a pallet of toilet paper and instant ramen just yet. It's going to take some time for the full effects of the strike to be felt and hopefully, the strike will be good and over by then. But there are no guarantees, and this election cycle could get significantly more insane as we draw near to the election. And even if the strike is settled quickly, it shows growing cracks in our infrastructure and industrial capacity that needs to be addressed if America wants to maintain its global dominance.

Here is everything you need to know about the dockworker strike:

What do the dockworkers want?

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As with most strikes, pay is the driving factor behind this situation the country now finds itself in. The longshoremen want more pay, and with rising inflation who can blame them? After all, working the docks is hard and dangerous business, and fair compensation only seems... fair. But when you compare the wage of a dockworker, which is around $100,000 to $200,00 a year to the average income in America of $56,000, suddenly they seem significantly less sympathetic.

How much money are they asking for? For most Americans, a three percent raise is considered high, but the unions are asking up to 15 percent, depending on location. On top of that, they are asking for a 77 percent raise over the next six years. The West Coast dock workers recently made off with a 36 percent raise and were considered lucky. These increases in costs are just going to be transferred to the end consumer, and we'll likely see a jump in prices if these terms are accepted.

The other major ticket item is protection against automation. Autonomous ports are quickly becoming a reality, with major ports in China that are capable of handling vast amounts of cargo being run by a single office, not an army of dock workers. Naturally, the longshoremen are concerned that their jobs are at risk of being replaced by machines that can work harder, longer, for cheaper, and without risk of injury.

How will it affect Americans?

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Don't panic yet!

It is going to take some time for consumers to feel the effects of the strike and it is possible that a resolution could happen at any time.

Week one should be pretty much business as usual. It might be a good idea to stock up on fruit and other perishables, but there is no need to go COVID-lockdown-crazy yet.

Week two is when you'll first start feeling the pinch. Fresh fruits and veggies will become scarce, along with other imported goods like shoes, toys, and TVs. Prices will start to creep up as the shelves will start to look a little sparse. The supply of tools, lumber, and other hardware materials will also begin to dry up.

By week three, the cracks in the system will really start to show. Entire industries will begin to slow down, or even stop. Factory workers will get furloughed and sent home without pay. Stores will have to ration items, prices will be sky-high, and online orders will come to a standstill. At this point, the strike will have escalated into a full-blown crisis, and even if it was resolved immediately, it would still take weeks to restore everything to working order.

At the four-week mark, the situation will have developed into a national security crisis, and as Glenn describes, a poly-crisis. Small business will be closing their doors, entire brands will be out of stock, and everything that remains will be so expensive it is unaffordable. By this point, the holiday season will be drawing near and there will be a rush on any sort of gift or decor items left. At this point, irreparable damage to our economy will have occurred and it will be months if not years before it can be mended.

While that sounds bleak, with the election just around the corner, it seems unlikely that the Biden-Harris administration will let it get that bad. That being said, their administration has not been characterized by good decision-making and reasonable policy, so there are no guarantees.

What can be done?

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The big question is "Why hasn't Biden already done something?"

President Biden, who ran on the image of a blue-collar, union-worker, has been uncharacteristically absent from the issue. Despite his earlier involvement in a train strike, Biden has declared that involvement in union fights is not a presidential issue unless it getsreally bad.

So where's the line? At what point will he step in? He has to understand that an economic crisis right before the election will reflect poorly on Kamala.

Join Glenn TONIGHT for BlazeTV's exclusive VP debate coverage!

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Join Glenntonight for Vice Presidential debate coverage you do not want to miss!

Tonight is the first (and only) Vice Presidential debate, and it will be hosted by CBS News. But don't be reliant on CBS News or any other mainstream media channel for their biased coverage. Join the BlazeTV live stream tonight to get the uncensored truth alongside top-quality commentary from Glenn and the rest of the world-class panel.

Glenn is joined by Megyn Kelly, Liz Wheeler, Allie Beth Stuckey, Steve Deace, Jill Savage, Dave Landau, and more to cover the CBS News Vice Presidential Debate. Blaze Media subscribers gain access to live chat with the fantastic panel of hosts! If you subscribe today by visiting BlazeTV.com/debate you will get $40 off of your annual subscription with code DEBATE. This is the largest discount ever offered, so take advantage NOW!

See you TONIGHT at 8 PM ET for an event you do NOT want to miss it!

POLL: Can the VP debate affect the election?

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The first (and likely only) Vice President debate will be held on CBS News on Tuesday, October 1st.

The debate takes place at 9 p.m. Eastern Time and will be the first time we see J.D. Vance and Tim Walz face off in person. Typically, the VP debate is little more than a formality, and rarely does it affect the election in any significant way. But this is no ordinary election. The stakes are higher than they have been in years, and Trump and Harris are still in a razor-thin race, according to the polls. Both Vance and Walz are relative newcomers to the national stage and still have room to make an impression on the American people, and with the race as tight as it is, that might make all the difference.

So what do you think? Can this VP debate make an impact on the election? Are you going to tune in? And what sort of questions and issues need to be brought up? Let us know in the poll below:

Glenn's Show Prep

Ohio grand jury says no to indictment in Tamir Rice case

VP debate recap: A Vance victory

J.D. Vance looked great

Tim Walz's gaffes

Vance fact-checked the fact-checkers

Dockworker strike: Everything you need to know

What do the dockworkers want?

How will it affect Americans?

What can be done?

Join Glenn TONIGHT for BlazeTV's exclusive VP debate coverage!

POLL: Can the VP debate affect the election?

Will this VP debate be important in the overall election?

Are you going to watch the VP debate?

Should the debaters be asked about the Biden-Harris administration's failing economy?

Should the debaters be asked about climate change and energy policy?

Should the debaters be asked about the rise of globalism?