№00211

Tamia Chappman

Tamia Chappman, 13, died in December 2019 in police pursuit in Cleveland, Ohio.

According to the police, police officers were responding a call about a stolen vehicle. The officers started a chase after the suspects. Despite department policy prohibiting high-speed police pursuit in a residential area, officers continued to pursue the stolen vehicle, occasionally speeding up to 120 kilometers per hour. The hijacker lost control and went off the road, hitting 13-year-old Chappman, who was returning from school with her friends. The girl died at the scene.

In March 2021, a lawsuit was filed against the city and the Cleveland Police Department. The lawsuit alleges police was negligent. In April 2021, the police officers were cleared, and in December 2021, police monitor found police investigation into Chappman’s death was riddled with mistakes.

СМИ

MASS MEDIA ABOUT THE CASE:

“When the speed exceeds safe limits that alone is a reason to terminate the pursuit,” said Roger Smith, head of the Office of Professional Standards. “And in this case, if the evidence is clear about anything, it’s clear the speed exceeded safe limits.”
News 5 Cleveland

“The Deputy Chief and the Chief of Police failed to ensure accountability by structuring the investigation in such a way that a truly objective evaluation of officer and supervisor conduct was impossible,” the monitoring team wrote in a report.
ideastream

FILES

CASE STATUS:

The initiative group has requested the clarification from US President Joseph Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland. The initiative group believes it is important to fight against police brutality and, if necessary, will provide legal and financial assistance to the family of the victim.