TAMIR RICE, 12 -- KILLED BY CLEVELAND POLICE

[HairOfTheDog]

The Off-Duty Officer - Violated Policy; Suspended for 2 Days

Cleveland safety director Michael McGrath handed down a two-day suspension for police officer William Cunningham, who was working off duty without permission at the rec center, in a disciplinary letter dated March 10.

Cunningham had patrolled the rec center without notifying the department for four years. He did not have access to the security surveillance at the check-in desk and did not know Tamir had been playing in the park for hours when someone told him of a shooting.

Cunningham is the officer seen on the park surveillance camera restraining Tamir's teen sister on the ground and then handcuffing her and putting her in the back of the squad car next to where Tamir was bleeding to death.

(continued)

[HairOfTheDog]

Officers Loehmann and Garmback; Violated Policy; Disciplinary Actions Still Pending

Loehmann's disciplinary letter cites his failure to disclose in an application that the Independence Police Department, where he worked for six months, had placed a letter in his personnel file saying he had an 'inability to emotionally function.'

Garmback's disciplinary letter accuses him of driving too close to Tamir and failing to report the time of arrival at the recreation center.

Tamir's mom believes that anything less than dismissal from the force will be insufficient. She feels strongly that the fact the officers weren't criminally charged denied justice for her son.

Refs:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...-days.html
http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf...m_the.html

[SIXFOOTERsez]

Hmmm...So nothing in there about the cops lieing at first about how it went down before they knew about the video?

[BigMark]

Was he wearing a hat?

[HairOfTheDog]

Hmmm...So nothing in there about the cops lieing at first about how it went down before they knew about the video?

I didn't see anything about that in the disciplinary letters, Six.

But, it was that asshole Cleveland PD Union Rep, Steve Loomis, who reported to the press right after the shooting that the cops told him Tamir was at the gazebo table with a group of people brandishing a gun when they rolled right up on him.

The park surveillance was released a couple of days later showing Tamir sitting alone; no people or gun in sight.

So, it's quite possible to me that Loomis devised and floated that false narrative before he knew of the surveillance cam and there's no proof that the two officers actually told him that tale.

[Pat/Ohio]

Tim Loehmann, the officer that killed Tamir Rice was fired from the police force.He was fired for a
rules violation for lying on his job application. His partner was given a 10 day suspension,
Garmback was suspended for violations related to the shooting, like failing to report his arrival to a radio dispatcher, No one checked his background before giving him a gun and sending him on the streets????? The people that are supposed to keep our kids safe never questioned his last job w/Independence Police and was fired from there also. Someone wasn't doing their job will that be investigated???? If that was done...he'd never make it on the force, and because of that Tamir won't be here today w/his family.

[SIXFOOTERsez]

Yea this one has a smell to it. I am glad the one cop got fired, the union guy should have too. The guy that got fired was because he failed to report he was going to get fired at the other agency. So IMHO his fireing was the right thing to do at a minimum.

[HairOfTheDog]

Tim Loehmann, the officer that killed Tamir Rice was fired from the police force.He was fired for a
rules violation for lying on his job application. His partner was given a 10 day suspension,
Garmback was suspended for violations related to the shooting, like failing to report his arrival to a radio dispatcher, No one checked his background before giving him a gun and sending him on the streets????? The people that are supposed to keep our kids safe never questioned his last job w/Independence Police and was fired from there also. Someone wasn't doing their job will that be investigated???? If that was done...he'd never make it on the force, and because of that Tamir won't be here today w/his family.

I agree, Loehmann should have never gotten hired in the first place and it's a relief that he was FINALLY fired. But, the fact that the incompetent nervous nelly was hired by Cleveland PD is just as much the PD's fault as it is Loehmann's.

CPD didn't even bother to check work history and references before giving him a gun and a badge and putting him on the streets. If the the PD had followed those minimal hiring standards, they would have known quickly that Loehmann couldn't cut at his previous police department where there was clear and easily accessible documentation detailing his frequent weeping on the job, failing and sleeping during firearms instruction, having been deemed unfit emotionally for the job, etc.

Garmback deserved a more severe punishment than 10 days of suspension, in my opinion. He, through the union rep, lied about Tamir being with a group of people and having a gun on a table in the gazebo. He lied about Tamir trying to run away. He mis-assessed the situation grossly and initiated an improper and ultimately fatal approach, which he tried to justify with the aforementioned lies. Then, when the surveillance video surfaced and those lies were exposed, he claimed that he knew the approach was improper but couldn't help it because the grass was slippery (huge eye roll). All kinds of terrible judgment and lies on the part of veteran/trainer Garmback, compounded by the fact that he was training someone who'd already been deemed unfit for police duty.

This case still affects me, as does the commentary by some that 12-year-old Tamir got was coming to him and the world is better off without him.

Anyway, I hope Tamir's death and the justifiable public protests were not in vain and that the CPD and other departments across the country have improved their hiring and training procedures, as many pledged to do after Tamir was killed.

[SIXFOOTERsez]

I agree, both cops should be fired along wit the union asshole and permanently banned from law enforcement.
Its fucked up that the kid is dead, but it isn't all on the cops although the majority is. People (all colors) should KNOW you do not under any circumstances approach the police with a weapon of any kind showing, especially when the roll up on you the way those 2 ass clowns did.
Long line of bad decisions here as in most of these

[Duchess]

2 ¹⁄₂ years to fire him. Jesus.

[Pat/Ohio]

"It's very possible Loehmann could prevail in appeals," Gilbert said. "He could very well even get his job back in the Cleveland Police Department," he said.

And the police have their own "laws" they go by. Even w/video, Loehmann did the right thing and Tamir shouldn't have been playing w/a toy gun???? HE didn't break the law.


http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/fire...er-n766921[/size]

[SIXFOOTERsez]

No, the kid didn't break any laws, but there is a world of stupid shit you can do without breaking any laws
The cop driving fucked up, the dispatcher fucked up, the kids mom fucked up.....
The list is endless on this one.
The cops could have even walked clean on this one, BUT...The bastards tried to Lie their way out. Fuckem

[Duchess]

"It's very possible Loehmann could prevail in appeals," Gilbert said. "He could very well even get his job back in the Cleveland Police Department," he said.

That would be exceedingly foolish. There are already way too many unqualified cops walking around with a license to kill. This department should have known immediately that he had no business pursuing a career in law enforcement.

[Pat/Ohio]

It's sad but true, most LE think of other cops as "family" and back each other.
That cop had problems and no way should he carry a gun. Reminds me of the Church
when someone reports a Priest for acting too friendly w/the kids and touching, they usually get a transfer to another Church and sweep it under a rug. Cops do that too. An older cop, close to retirement and they transfer them to another station so they don't lose their retirement. It's too bad the victims and their family get no justice. If it's so easy to get a gun and a badge, some need to go through training again and a desk job before this happens again IMO.[/size]