Timothy Loehmann, a Cleveland police officer who shot 12-year-old Tamir Rice in 2014, was fired Tuesday after administrative charges resulted from 2 1/2-year investigation into the shooting.
On Nov. 22, 2014, Rice was playing with a pellet gun outside the Cudell Recreation Center, but the information that the gun was "probably fake" was never relayed to Loehmann and partner Frank Garmback, The New York Times reported. Loehmann apparently shot Rice only two seconds after pulling up next to Rice, video footage showed.
Garmback was also suspended for 10 days for his part in the incident and will have to take a tactical training course before returning to duty, the Times reported. In 2015, a grand jury failed to bring charges against any officer involved in the shooting, but administrative charges were brought in January against Loehmann, Garmback and a third officer, William Cunningham.
During the course of the department’s investigation, it was revealed that Loehmann had lied on his application about disciplinary actions taken by previous employer Independence police, WKBW reported. A review of his personnel file with Independence police revealed that he had a meltdown during firearms training in 2012 and was in the process of being fired, the station noted.
An emergency dispatcher was suspended for eight work days in March because she violated protocol during the original call, the Times reported.
Loehmann’s firing was reported to be about lying on his application and violating other policies rather than the Rice shooting, WKBW reported. Garmback’s suspension was related to his operation of the patrol car on the day of the shooting and failing to report his arrival time to radio dispatchers as soon as he arrived at the recreation center.
Twitter users responded to the firing.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.