Talib Kweli has never been one to bite his tongue in regards to the many social justice issues that plague this country, and now the Brooklyn native is speaking out about the recent non-indictment of the Cleveland police officers who gunned down Tamir Rice.
Monday (Dec. 28), an Ohio grand jury decided against criminally charging the officers in the 12-year-old’s shooting death one year after he was shot while reportedly drawing a toy gun from his waist. According to the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy J. McGinty, the state failed to prove that the officers engaged in criminal activity when they killed the pre-teen.
In a series of tweets, Kweli condemned the “disgusting” announcement and called it yet another example of corrupt cops getting away with murder.
(Disgusting.) RT @chrislhayes: Grand Jury: no indictment in fatal shooting of 12 yo Tamir Rice .
— Talib Kweli Greene (@TalibKweli) December 28, 2015
(Truth) RT @SBA4thString: If police can murder a Black kid sitting in the park without consequence, they can murder ANY of us at any time.
— Talib Kweli Greene (@TalibKweli) December 28, 2015
(Police getting shot rates lower than ever. WE the ones getting shot.) RT @Andfinsoln: easy to say when you aren’t the one getting shot
— Talib Kweli Greene (@TalibKweli) December 28, 2015
(Yes, that’s what idiots usually think.) RT @Captain_Drew777: @TalibKweli is sounding pretty ignorant right now
— Talib Kweli Greene (@TalibKweli) December 28, 2015
When a Twitter user challenged the 40-year-old to look at the situation from the vantage point of the officers who encountered Rice on the fateful afternoon of Dec. 22, 2014, Kweli refused and called the officials involved “racist murderers.”
(No I don’t. They are racist murderers.) RT @AlvvaysSavvy: i say tragic. You have to look at it through the eyes of the officers as well.
— Talib Kweli Greene (@TalibKweli) December 28, 2015
The MC also took to Instagram to vent his frustration with the decision. In a post that was updated shortly after the announcement was made, Kweli said that there was “zero excuse” for officers to kill Rice because Ohio permits the carrying of firearms in public. “Praying for the family of #TamirRice 12 years old shot within 2 seconds by Cleveland police while holding a toy gun that the caller identified as a toy. In an open carry state, so zero excuse for the police to murder this boy. But they did. 2pm, decision on charges or not will be made. UPDATE. No charges. Murderous cops walk free again.”
A photo posted by Talib Kweli (@talibkweli) on
Following the long-awaited announcement, the Rice’s attorney, Subodh Chandra, said that the family was “saddened and disappointed” but definitely not “surprised” by the outcome.