The Department of Justice has notified Tamir Rice’s mother that her son’s case will not be reopened for a federal investigation, ABC News reports.

The news comes after Tamir's mother, Samaria Rice, attended a federal training event for state prosecutors who seek to look into cases where police misconduct was evident.

Samaria's attorneys had previously sent four letters to those in power at the Justice Department to plead for a fresh look into her son’s case. Their efforts led to meetings with the department's officials in October and December.

Although one of the letters was supported by legal experts well-versed in criminal, constitutional and civil rights law, the department denied her request for a continuation.

The legal scholars who signed the letter wrote that they believed Tamir's civil rights were not only violated, but that favor was given "to protect local white law enforcement officials from accountability in the shooting death of a young black child," according to the Associated Press.

Civil Rights Division head Kristin Clarke responded to Tamir's family, saying the decision to not charge the officers would remain. However, she said, ”by no means should you view the department's 2020 decision as an exoneration” of the officers' actions during Tamir's killing.

“We know that Tamir Rice's death was a tragic loss and we continue to hold Ms. Rice, her family and the community at large in our thoughts," Clarke said. “Please know that we remain committed to doing all that we can to promote policing accountability and reform.”

The department conducted an 18-month investigation and the Cleveland Division of Police continues to be under supervision. In Dec. 2014, it was announced that the two officers involved, Timothy Loehmann and Frank Garmback, had used excessive force and breached a person's civil rights. A year later, a grand jury decided not to bring criminal charges against the officers, concluding the investigation.

However, in late 2020 when the case was reexamined, federal prosecutors stood firm on not indicting the officers. They said video evidence was poor quality and they were unable to determine precisely what had occurred. Also, prosecutors were not able to accurately pinpoint if Tamir was reaching for his toy gun prior to the fatal shooting.

Loehmann and Garmback told authorities that they asked Tamir to show his hands multiple times before shooting the 12-year-old. They also said that Tamir had reached for his toy gun before being shot.

Garmback was eventually suspended for improper tactics and Loehmann was fired. An investigation later revealed that Loehmann failed to disclose that he was fired from another police precinct for his inability to be an effective officer, according to Cleveland.com.

In order to bring federal civil charges Garmback and Loehmann, proof must be shown that the officers' measures to de-escalate were unlawful on purpose, and not just a bad judgment call.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland shared new rules for federal oversight teams that monitor police reform, according to The Washington Post.

Samaria-RiceTamir Rice