( CNN ) The city of Cleveland has transferred the investigation into the fatal shooting of a 12-year-old boy by a Cleveland police officer to the Cuyahoga County Sheriff 's Department , the city announced Friday . Cleveland Police Officer Timothy Loehmann fatally shot Tamir Rice in November in a city park . Police said the boy was reaching for an air pistol in his waistband that the officer thought was a real gun . The lawyers for the youth 's family said they they are `` cautiously optimistic '' about the change . `` The Rice family hopes that this investigation yields information about why Cleveland Police failed to conduct a background check with the Independence Police Department before hiring Officer Timothy Loehmann . '' said lawyers Benjamin Crump , Walter Madison and Daryl Parks . `` We are further hopeful that this independent investigation will shed some light on why the police car nearly drove on top of Tamir Rice , and why he was shot less than two seconds after officers converged . '' Cleveland Mayor Frank G. Jackson said in a statement : `` This decision to turn the investigation over was made to ensure that transparency and an extra layer of separation and impartiality were established . I believe that the best way to ensure accountability in a use of force investigation is to have it completed by an outside agency . '' No charges have been filed . The investigation will be conducted by Chief Clifford Pinkney of the sheriff 's office , which will present information to the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor 's Office for determination of possible charges . The Tamir Rice shooting was one one of several police shootings of African-American males in 2014 that sparked a series of anti-police demonstrations across the United States . Justice Dept . : Cleveland police has pattern of excessive force . CNN 's Sarah Jorgensen contributed to this report .
Lawyers for slain youth 's family say theyr ' e `` cautiously optimistic '' Tamir Rice , 12 , was fatally shot by a Cleveland police officer . The shooting has sparked protests and riots in the city of Cleveland, Ohio.