Family of the toddler is reportedly speaking out about the incident.
NEWARK -- The father of a 3-year-old boy who was killed after being struck during a police chase in the city Friday morning is reportedly questioning why officers were involved in a pursuit in his neighborhood.
"I'm more angry at the police. They should have never been chasing that man like that," Cordell Tullis said in an interview with PIX11. "(If) that would have never happened, my son would still be here."
Tullis's son, Rahmere, was standing with his mother on the corner of 15th Avenue and South 7th Street when he was struck by a Hyundai Sonata involved in a police chase, authorities confirmed Friday. Rahmere Tullis was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
MORE: Driver accused of killing Newark toddler during police chase charged
The man driving the car, 22-year-old Newark resident Troy Ruff, has been arrested on numerous charges including vehicular homicide, authorities said.
The young boy's death has sent shockwaves through the city. "This tragedy touches us on so many levels and the loss of young Rahmere is felt in our homes, our neighborhoods, our communities and throughout Newark," Mayor Ras Baraka said in a statement.
Scene in Newark Friday. (Vernal Coleman | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)"The way in which his life was taken is not just a crime against the laws of the land but a crime against humanity."
According to the Essex County Prosecutor's Office, Ruff was wanted on aggravated assault and weapons charges.
"The tragic and unnecessary death of 3-year-old Rahmere Tullis...weighs heavy on the hearts of every law enforcement agency," Newark Police Director Eugene Venable said in a statement.
Venable confirmed that the department is cooperating with the prosecutor's office's investigation of the chase. "We have no doubt that justice will be brought to bear in this incident," he said.
Other officers said the incident could serve as a tragic warning.
"To flee or fight only puts others at risk, and as shown today, can create an unimaginable tragedy," James Stewart Jr., president of the city's chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police, said in an interview with NJ Advance Media.
"Our officers are devastated and out hearts go out to the family."
Area residents have reportedly created a makeshift memorial near the scene of the child's death.
Suspect ID:Troy Ruff, 22. Charged w/veh.homicide. Flowers/candle placed at scene for Rahmere Tullis, 3. @FiOS1NewsNJ pic.twitter.com/wzwz0frLUF
-- Nick Delgado (@NickDelgadoKWTX) September 11, 2015
Jessica Mazzola may be reached at jmazzola@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessMazzola. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
