Officer Who Shot 12 Year Old Tamir Rice Had Been Judged Unfit For Duty in 2012

[sabrina 1]

Officer Who Fatally Shot Tamir Rice Had Been Judged Unfit For Duty in 2012



Tomiko Shine holds up a picture of Tamir Rice, the 12-year-old boy fatally shot on 22 November by a police officer, during a protest in response to a grand jury’s decision in Ferguson, Missouri. Photograph: Jose Luis Magana/AP

A police officer who shot a 12-year-old dead in a Cleveland park late last month had been judged unfit for police service two years earlier by a small suburban force where he worked for six months, according to records released on Wednesday.

Officer Timothy Loehmann, who killed Tamir Rice on 22 November, was specifically faulted for breaking down emotionally while handling a live gun. During a training episode at a firing range, Loehmann was reported to be “distracted and weepy” and incommunicative. “His handgun performance was dismal,” deputy chief Jim Polak of the Independence, Ohio, police department wrote in an internal memo.

The memo concludes with a recommendation that Loehmann be “released from the employment of the City of Independence”. Less than a week later, on 3 December 2012, Loehmann resigned.

In March of this year, Loehmann was hired by the Cleveland police department. It is unclear whether the department had seen the Independence memo at the time of Loehmann’s hiring.

The report on Loehmann concluded with the recommendation for his dismissal:

“Due to this dangerous loss of composure during live range training and his inability to manage this personal stress, I do not believe Ptl Loehmann shows the maturity needed to work in our employment. For these reasons, I am recommending he be released from the employment of the city of Independence. I do not believe time, nor training, will be able to change or correct these deficiencies.”

They gave him a choice of being fired, or resigning. He chose to resign.

[merrily]

1. I'm sure many lawyers will contact this family, but that will not give them Tamir again.

Nothing will. That being the case, I hope they at least get millions from the lawsuit. Even though that cannot compare to having your child alive, it's better than nothing and paying out is the only thing some cities and towns will respond to.

[sabrina 1]

3. The loss of a child is probably the worst thing that can happen to a parent. To lose a child

to violence like this, has to be one of the worst nightmares one can imagine.

As for a lawsuit, yes, I too hope they get millions but agree, I'm sure they would rather have their child back.

The public should not have to pay these settlements, again letting the police off the hook.

Any payments for the murders of citizens by the police should come from the Police Union funds and/or from the individuals who are responsible for the killings.

Maybe that might curb their willingness to kill people, money. Because they sure don't show any kind of empathy or remorse and won't, so long as they get away with it.

[merrily]

10. Cops don't have millions. If you are limited to a cop's assets, you are going to be

screwed worse than Ron GojWldman's kin were by being limited to OJ's assets--and, unlike most cops, he had some real money.

What needs doing, IMO, is a campaign to make owners of real estate and other sources of local aware of what police misconduct costs their town. At that point, hopefully, they mass against the town council, the mayor, etc. A mayor or town council member has to be more responsive to that than D.C. is, no? Or am I still kidding myself about how much clout a citizen has?

[sabrina 1]

12. No need to limit it the cops, but they should definitely have to pay as part of any

settlement. And as far as I know, the Police Unions are pretty well off.

Eg, Wilson raised over half a million dollars, with the help of the 'Prosecutor' apparently in an online donation site. That should be part of the lawsuit, there can be more than one person or entity named in a lawsuit.

I do like your idea too. I'm for taking as much as can be taken from everyone responsible for the death of a citizen and give it to the family

[merrily]

14. I agree that the cops should pay. I have VERY mixed feelings about police

unions.

On the one hand, I am very pro-union. Both my parents were ILGWU and I was proud union myself (AFL-CIO at times and SEIU at other times), whenever I was not management. On the other hand, I don't know what the police unions are doing to cut down on the abuses. I can see them providing their member with defense counsel, or whatever, but what are they doing to stem abuses in general?

What Wilson raised on a website is a different issue I think. Zimmerman also raised a ton of donations from the RW on a website, too, having nothing to do with his being a union member or not.

But cities definitely have a role to play. They train cops and they give them marching orders New York City's Civilian Review Board initially started with a Mayor, but then it got absorbed by the NYPD again, probably because of another Mayor.

[sabrina 1]

16. Well, I wasn't suggesting the donations these killer copc get should be connected to their unions.

I am saying that the individual cops themselves should be named in any lawsuit and when there is a settlement, let's say it's in the millions, the main part of the settlement should be paid by the cities, sure, then a portion of the settlement according to proportion of the settlement, be paid by the cop himself.

They are rewarded for their crimes. Those donating might think twice if they knew their donations would end up with the victims.

The Police Union in NYC protects their members and while I can't say for certain, I am not aware of them doing anything to even admit their members are so out of control. The corruption in the NYPD is enormous and always has been. If Unions were addressing the issue, I have not heard of it.

I did see the NYPD Union Rep whining about De Blasio's statement last night so it didn't seem he was reflecting on the actions of the cop who killed Garner, more on the mayor not standing up for that cop totally.

[merrily]

17. I think we're agreeing.

[bravenak]

2. No background checks?

I'm so ready to apply. I'd spen my time narcing on other cops.

[sabrina 1]

5. Maybe that's an idea. But who would you narc to? All the way up they are protected.

Good cops if there are any, probably wouldn't survive very long.

In fact just a few years ago there WAS a good cop who kept records and even recorded on tape, blatant corruption in action.

They sent a swat team to his house and hauled him out in the middle of the night, airc, and deposited him in psych ward for 'evaluation'.

I have to look that up again to find out if anything was done about the corruption. There was supposedly one of those 'internal' investigations, where they get to exonerate themselves. So I doubt it.

[bravenak]

7. You're right.

They'd probably kill me. Nobody would even trust me enough for me to get anything good.

[H2O Man]

4. That's terrible.

I saw this reported on last night. It adds to the horror of an event that was already too horrible to comprehend.

Recommended.

[sabrina 1]

6. Yes, it does because if the system was working, he never would have been hired again, anywhere.

I have read that the cop who killed Eric Garner also had a record of abuse.

We have seen the 'records' of the victims on the MSM, but you have to go search for the records of the cops who killed them.

Thanks for your comment, I read your OP btw, and am happy that the perp in your case has not been given bail, at least for now.

[Blue_Tires]

8. wow....holy damn...

[sabrina 1]

11. I know. I wonder how they are going to get around this one? Not that I expect they won't, but

I personally cannot see how this can be explained in the usual way, by blaming the 12 year old. However, I wouldn't bet on them not coming up with something to try to defend it. If they could make Trayvon Martin appear to be responsible for his own murder, well, what can anyone say?

[1StrongBlackMan]

9. And having gone up in the area ...

the Independence PD, didn't have a reputation for employing the brightest bulbs in the pack.

[sabrina 1]

13. I'll take your word for it. Don't know them at all, so iow, even a PD who isn't looking for the

best and brightest, found this guy too incompetent to keep on their force.

What is even more stunning is the near admission of the Cleveland PD that they 'may' never have even checked his record. Or maybe they did, and didn't care? Either way, it will be interesting to see how this plays out. Not hoping for much though, they seem to be immune to any sense of empathy or shame for their actions. I would not be surprised if this one got off also.

[1StrongBlackMan]

15. I meant "have GROWN up" ...

I know it will do nothing to bring relief to Tamir's family and friends; but, the City of Cleveland is about to make this family millionaires. (See: Negligent Hiring; Employment Case Law.)

[sabrina 1]

18. No problem. Then you know their standards. So this guy must have been pretty bad

to have been basically driven out of the department.

As far as the family receiving a huge settlement, I hope they do, but as you say, nothing will ever compensate for such a tragic loss. And it was so avoidable. I agree, with his record, and the negligence of the department in hiring him, they should definitely receive a lot of money.

[countryjake]

20. I'm no gambler, but I'd be willing to bet Loehmann won't be held accountable.

This is Cleveland we're talkin' about, after all. Tamir Rice's family will never see true justice for their murdered son.

I cried the first time I watched that full surveillance video of Tamir playing around at the start (like a typical kid) but then shot dead so abruptly. I cannot watch it again.

[sabrina 1]

21. I would say they wouldn't dare to let this go without charges being filed, but

I wouldn't bet on it either. Considering the negligence of the department itself in hiring someone with the record he has, their thinking may be that they cannot allow him to be charged. I don't know the legalities but wouldn't it diminish their liability if he is not charged, if a GJ fails to indict him?

If that's the case, then I would bet on him getting away with murder also.

[countryjake]

19. That's just what I was thinking...

a place with a pretty low bar didn't even want the guy a couple of years ago. (didn't grow up there, but lived on the west side long enough to learn a bit about those "outskirts&quot

I agree that the city of Cleveland is long gonna rue that two-second decision made by their cop, Timothy Loehmann.