In a creditor's claim filed with the Cuyahoga County Probate Court Wednesday, the City of Cleveland requested $500 from Tamir Rice's estate as his "last dying expense."
The claim, which listed the City of Cleveland as the creditor, stated the $500 owed by Tamir Rice's estate was past due and was for the emergency medical services the 12-year-old received after he was fatally shot by Cleveland police in 2014.
On the ambulance invoice, Rice was charged $450 for ambulance advance life support and $50 for mileage, totaling $500.
Becky-Lee Caraballo, an EMS billing manager for the City of Cleveland, stated in an affidavit that the Tamir Rice estate "has failed to pay for the goods and/or services as agreed upon delineated in the invoices, accounting, and/or ledger statements."
Carl E. Meyer, the assistant director of law for Cleveland, is listed as the creditor attorney.
Newsnet5.com reached out to Rice family attorney Subodh Chandra for a statement regarding the city's claim.
"The callousness, insensitivity, and poor judgment required for the city to send a bill after its own police officers killed a 12-year-old child is breathtaking, said Chandra. “This adds insult to homicide."
We've also received a statement from Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association President Steve Loomis.
Loomis says it is unconscionable that the City of Cleveland would send that bill to the Rice family. He adds, its truly disappointing but unfortunately not surprising.
The city of Cleveland spokesperson declined comment.