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Samaria Rice is a mother of four children and she recently lost one of them and we’ve all seen the horrific footage of it happening. 12-year-old Tamir Rice, who’s name has tragically become synonymous with police brutality and Rice’s 14-year-old daughter, who ended up handcuffed in the back of a police cruiser after her brother was gunned down by the police are two of Samaria’s children who have been a part of tragedy way before they should have. In the toughest moment of her life, Samaria had to decide between her two children–one who needed medical attention (as far as she knew) and the other, screaming, crying and restrained by handcuffs. There’s not many mothers in the world that will ever have to face that type of agony and as long as Tamir Rice is no longer breathing, Samaria will be in agony.

MUST READ: ‘We’re Going Backwards’: Amadou Diallo’s Mother Can’t Believe Police Brutality Is Still Taking Black Lives

Samaria tells #TeamBeautiful exclusively, “I’m actually living in a nightmare and my life has been flipped upside-down. I never asked for none of this, but I’m going to get justice for my son and that’s what I’m going to do.” We’ve watched in horror as many cases similar to Tamir Rice’s have made their way into the news: Kajieme Powell, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Vonderrit Myers, Amadou Diallo, Oscar Grant…the list goes on. Each of these young men had mothers who buried them way too son–mothers who were left thinking they’re sons lives were garbage to the police who pulled the trigger.

“I am still waiting for someone to knock on my door and tell me what happened to my 12-year-old son. Nobody has come to my door,” Samaria admitted with sadness. Typically when someone’s loved one is involved in an incident that claims their life, it’s courtesy for the police to come to the family’s home and explain. Samaria has never received this courtesy. She had to run the 100 yards from her house, where her son took his last breath and see him lying there.

And we all continue to see Tamir’s death play out on national television as well as websites who choose to display the footage of officer Timothy Loehmann shooting Tamir down. But it’s only because Samaria urged the authorities to do so. Her attorney, Walter T. Madison told us exclusively, “She [Samaria] authorized the release because she wants the world to know. Ms. Rice understands that her child’s life won’t be in vain. She wanted the world to know so that we could put a stop to police violence and excessive force that’s killing our children.”

Samaria is obviously poised to do whatever it takes to ensure that her son’s life wasn’t lost in vain. Protests have erupted all over the world in support of slain men like Eric Garner and Michael Brown and now Samaria’s son has been added to the cause. Police brutality and systematic racism is a real problem in America. Rice’s death was recently ruled a homicide, and if Loehmann doesn’t suffer any consequences for killing Rice, the world will erupt with even more outrage at our broken justice system.

And while we’re marching and protesting to interrupt society so that we can get the federal government on our side so that we can change non-indictments into charges, they police departments who shoot down our Black men have the audacity to ask for apologies. Madison said, “The police union in Cleveland yesterday demanded an apology from the [Michael] Brown organization because one of the players wore a T-shirt in support of Tamir Rice and it’s quite ironic that they demand and apology, but have yet to give one themselves and they’re the villains here who have gunned down her son.”

You can’t make this stuff up! Our prayers go out to Samaria Rice and the many mothers like her who have lost their sons to senseless violence at the hands of the police.

RELATED STORIES:

Moms Of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Eric, Garner and Tamir Rice Talk To CNN’s Anderson Cooper

Tamir Rice’s Death Ruled A Homicide, Will The Cop Who Killed Him Face Charges?

Tamir Rice’s Mother Says 14-Year-Old Daughter Handcuffed After Shooting

 

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