Court says Timothy Loehmann’s termination was justified; former officer who shot Tamir Rice was fired for lying

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - The Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas ruled that the city of Cleveland’s decision to fire Timothy Loehmann was justified.

The Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association filed a lawsuit in March 2019 on behalf of Loehmann claiming that the former Cleveland police officer was wrongfully terminated.

Loehmann, who fatally shot 12-year-old Tamir Rice in November 2014, was fired from the department in May 2017 for lying on a portion of his hiring application.

Subodh Chandra, counsel for Samaria Rice, said on the family's behalf:

Having ended a child’s life, Loehmann should live his life as something other than a police officer. Having lied on his application to get the job that enabled him to end a child’s life, Loehmann should apply to be something other than a police officer. And Cleveland’s police union—which is apparently so uncommitted to truth and the rule of law that it thinks that it’s okay for an officer to lie—needs to end its relentless assault on the community’s intelligence and integrity. Clevelanders do not want Loehmann to ever again be entrusted with a badge and gun anywhere, but least of all here. The union leadership should stop embarrassing itself with the appeals and let the Rice family—and the community—heal.

The city of Cleveland released a statement regarding the court’s decision:

“The City of Cleveland is pleased that the court upheld its decision to terminate the employment of former Cleveland Police patrol officer Timothy Loehmann. The City has consistently maintained throughout this process that Loehmann’s termination was justified.”

The deadly shooting of Rice, which was ruled “reasonable,” was not a factor in Loehmann’s termination.

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