title:  Tamir Rice’s Memorial Is A Stop In Pokemon Go And It Has A Powerful Message
text: The gazebo at the Cudell Recreation Center in Cleveland, Ohio has become a non-official memorial for Tamir Rice, an innocent 12-year-old who was shot and killed by the police. The gazebo is the location where Rice was killed while playing with a toy rifle.According to Belt Magazine, the location has also recently become a popular stop in the smash hit augmented reality game, Pok mon Go. For those not familiar how the game works, locations of interest   called Pokestops   such as public works of art, historical locations, and other community hot spots.The person who suggested the location be added as a location in the game developer s database took the opportunity to make a statement. The description for the pokestop reads: Community memorial for Tamir Rice, shot and killed by CPD officers who shot him in under 2s after breaking department policy regarding escalation of force. The Cudell Gazebo bears no marker indicating that is a memorial for Rice. The gazebo was scheduled to be demolished though it has not due to certain groups who wish to see the area preserved as a historical landmark. As of right now, the gazebo has remained in a state of limbo. So, besides the stuffed animals and other tokens left by community members, there is no way to tell what the historical importance of what the location is.This virtual marker runs contrary to the findings of a grand jury who decided not to bring charges against the officers involved in the shooting.A commentator on the Belt claims to be the person who wrote the description for the Gazebo. He claims that he wrote the description not thinking that it would be noticed by many people, as it was added to a much less popular game created by the same company who created Pokemon Go. He writes that he wrote the description because: Memorials are built in the hope people will remember. The events that ended Tamir Rice s life are something that I worry will be forgotten. It was difficult to see the gazebo pictured without context, and I added a bit without expecting it to be noticed by anyone else. The gazebo in the park should be turned into an official memorial for Rice. However, even if it was the spot would not tell the story that so many people hear. It is nice to know that there are people able to get what many would consider the truth of the story of what happened at that spot than what is on the official record.Featured image from Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images