No indictments for US officer over killing of black boy

NEW YORK

A U.S. grand jury on Monday decided not to file criminal charges against a white police officer over the killing of a 12-year-old black boy who was carrying what turned out to be a toy gun.

Announcing the decision at a news conference, Ohio prosecutor Timothy McGinty called the 2014 shooting death of Tamir Rice "a perfect storm of human error".

"But it was not, by the law that binds us, a crime," McGinty said, adding that it was "reasonable" to believe officer Timothy Loehmann who killed Tamir Rice believed he was a threat.

Tamir Rice was shot on Nov. 22, 2014, by the Cleveland rookie police officer because he believed the boy was carrying a gun, which turned out to be a replica airsoft gun that shot plastic pellets.

Surveillance video of the shooting showed Tamir was pointing the toy gun at a passer-by at a playground, which prompted an emergency call to police. It took the officer less than two seconds after exiting his patrol car to shoot the 12-year-old twice. He later died at the hospital.

Following the announcement, the 12-year-old's family released a statement saying they were "disappointed" but not surprised by the grand jury's decision.

"It has been clear for months now that Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy McGinty was abusing and manipulating the grand jury process to orchestrate a vote against indictment," read the statement carried by CNN.

Tamir's death was among a string of police-involved killings of black suspects including Michael Brown in Missouri, Eric Garner in New York and Freddie Gray in Baltimore that have stirred racial tensions and set off nationwide protests over perceived injustices within the U.S. justice system.