Cleveland City Hall tried to clean up a case of miscommunication about a bill sent to the estate of Tamir Rice for the child's ambulance ride to a hospital after he was fatally shot by a city police officer in 2014.
Mayor Frank Jackson said the paperwork was an account for the ambulance service which should have been flagged and pulled from the files of routine EMS service costs normally passed on to those requiring the service. The ambulance cost was $500, part of which Medicaid covered.
Jackson said the executor of the estate of Tamir Rice requested an accounting of EMS costs. Tamir , who, at the age of 12 had an airsoft pistol which a Cleveland police officer who mistakenly thought to be a real gun when he shot and killed the youngster.
The City of Cleveland complied with the request for the accounting, showing there was still an outstanding debt for the EMS service. Jackson said although there was never an intent for the family or the estate of Tamir Rice to be charged for the service, on paper, the account should have been closed. Although it had been, the office worker handling the papers complied with the request of the executor.
"There was no sending of a bill either previously or now to the Tamir Rice family," said Jackson in a news conference in his office. "Medicaid paid their portion an we closed the account and we absorbed the other $300 or so," he added.
However, in a letter dated Feb. 11, Adam M. Fried, representing the estate of Tamir Rice, wrote it was "insensitive and callous" the claim was filed.
In his news conference, Jackson said that legally, the city was on a lawful footing, but admitted City Hall "stumbled over our own process."
Jackson said someone should have pulled the Tamir Rice paperwork from the file of routine events and flagged it for higher-ups to handle. Jackson apologized to the Rice family if the actions "added to any grief or pain they may have."
Cleveland's mayor reiterated there was never a bill for the Tamir Rice ambulance service ever sent to the family or the executor of the estate. He said the executor had a right to ask for the accounting and City Hall had a response to give the information although there was never any intent to ask for a reimbursement for the EMS service.
The mayor said because of the miscommunication, he would work toward averting any similar paperwork problems in the future in any cases.
