Sheriff to take over probe of police shooting death of Cleveland boy

By Kim Palmer CLEVELAND (Reuters) - Cleveland has transferred its investigation into the fatal police shooting of a 12-year-old boy to the Cuyahoga County sheriff's department, city officials said on Friday. Cleveland police shot and killed Tamir Rice at a park in November while he was carrying a replica gun that typically shoots plastic pellets. Police, who were responding to a 911 call that a man was pointing a gun at people, shot Rice within seconds of arriving at the scene. "I believe that the best way to ensure accountability in a use of force investigation is to have it completed by an outside agency," Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson said in a statement. He said the decision would add transparency and an "extra layer of separation and impartiality." Cuyahoga County includes the city of Cleveland. Activists and attorneys for Rice's family have called for an independent inquiry into the shooting, and Jackson said last month he also was interested in having an outside agency investigate. The Rice shooting came at a time of heightened scrutiny over use of force by U.S. police. Cleveland's police force has been under a U.S. Department of Justice investigation, which found last month that the department systematically engages in excessive use of force. The Rice investigation will be led by Clifford Pinkney, the department's first African-American chief and second in command to Sheriff Frank Bova. Rice was black, while the officer who shot him is white. The Rice family has filed a federal wrongful death suit against the city. Walter Madison, attorney for the Rice family, said he had not reviewed the city’s announcement and had no immediate comment. (Reporting by Kim Palmer; Editing by Mary Wisniewski and Mohammad Zargham)