Shooting death of US boy, 12, ruled a homicide

The shooting death of a 12-year-old boy by a police officer in a Cleveland park has been ruled a homicide.

Tamir Rice was shot by police who mistook his toy gun as a real firearm last month.

A witness who called 911 told the operator he saw someone with a pistol who was "probably a juvenile" and added that the gun was likely a fake.

Moments after arriving at the scene, police officer Timothy Loehmann shot Tamir. He died the next day in hospital.

The boy's family have filed a lawsuit against the two officers and the city over his death, CNN reported.

Samaria Rice, the boy's mother, said she didn't believe it when she heard the news had been shot by police across the street from their home.

"Two little boys came and knocked on my door and said, 'Police officers just shot your son twice in the stomach,' " she said.

"I really thought they was playing, like joking around, but I saw the seriousness in their face, and it scared me."

Police say the officer opened fire after the boy reached for the toy gun.