Cleveland Mayor Says Billing Tamir Rice's Family For Ambulance Was Miscommunication
Less than a day after the city of Cleveland filed a $500 claim against Tamir Rice’s family for the ambulance sent in an attempt to save the 12-year-old, Mayor Frank Jackson said the whole thing was a miscommunication between the city and Rice’s family.
Speaking to reporters at city hall today, Jackson said that the executor of Rice’s estate—as much as a 12-year-old can even have one—requested any outstanding charges the family had with the city. He then went onto explain that the standard procedure upon that request is to file a claim with a probate court in order to “reimburse Medicaid.”
"No claim was ever generated to the family in the past...the claim was closed. It was at zero." @WEWS
— Tara Molina (@TaraMolinaTV) February 11, 2016
Chief counsel says the routine process from city is to submit charges to probate and reimburse Medicaid. Standard routine process. @WEWS
— Tara Molina (@TaraMolinaTV) February 11, 2016
Chief Counsel says executor of the Rice state requested outstanding charges from the city. Part of job as executor. @WEWS
— Tara Molina (@TaraMolinaTV) February 11, 2016
Copy of letter from executor of Tamir Rice estate requesting the billing statement from the city. @WEWS pic.twitter.com/5vcqqn2dEO
— Tara Molina (@TaraMolinaTV) February 11, 2016
Nonetheless, Jackson acknowledged that while the city never intended to make Rice’s family pay that $500 (which may or may not be true for all we know), some system needs to be put in place so that it doesn’t again appear that Cleveland is attempting to bill families of people killed by cops for medical services.
Mayor asked if this will change with high profile cases in future- says city wants to have check in place with law & finance. @WEWS
— Tara Molina (@TaraMolinaTV) February 11, 2016
"This is a high profile incident, so someone, yes, should have identified it." -Mayor @WEWS
— Tara Molina (@TaraMolinaTV) February 11, 2016
According to Mayor Jackson there have been other use-of-force cases where this same thing has happened. @WEWS
— Tara Molina (@TaraMolinaTV) February 11, 2016
Of course, inherent in that answer is an acceptance that his cops will kill people in the future, which is actually the real problem.