Cleveland cop who killed Tamir Rice wants his job back

Timothy Loehmann was fired for lying on his publication, but not for the fatal shooting

Jan 11, 2018

Former Officer Timothy Loehmann, who shot and killed Tamir Rice, is trying to get his job back.

It’s been nearly eight months since Loehmann was kicked off of the Cleveland police force for lying on his job application.

–Newly released video reveals cop’s shifting story in Tamir Rice shooting–

Cleveland.com reported sources close to the arbitration proceedings saying that they would begin on Wednesday and last about three days, but it’s not clear how long an arbitrator would take to come to a decision.

Arbitrators usually come to a decision within 60 days but can ask for more time if they need it.

Shooting in 2014

Loehmann and his partner, Officer Frank Garmback, were cleared of any wrongdoing in the 2014 shooting of Tamir Rice by the Critical Incident Response Committee.

The two officers were responding to reports of someone wielding a gun. However, the 911 dispatcher didn’t tell the officers that the caller had said there was a possibility the gun might be a toy.

Rice, who was only 12 at the time, had been playing with the toy gun when the officers arrived on the scene. Not three seconds later, Loehmann had shot and killed him.

Rice’s death prompted nationwide protests and calls for justice.

Disciplined for lying

Despite the huge outcry over Rice’s death, Loehmann wasn’t kicked off the force because of the shooting. Instead, he was disciplined because he had failed to mention that the Independence, Ohio Police Department had kicked him out for being unfit to serve as a police officer.

Vice News reported that Loehmann had a reported emotional breakdown and had suffered other incidents in Independence leading up to his dismissal. None of this was included on his job application to the Cleveland Police Department.

And yet, even though Loehmann was fired and still faces intense national scrutiny for shooting Rice, he still seems to think the department should take him back.