Bedford Heights man caught driving murdered Cleveland police officer’s car sentenced to 3 years in prison

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - The 28-year-old Bedford Heights man arrested driving murdered Cleveland Police Officer Shane Bartek’s stolen car pleaded guilty Thursday in front of Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas Judge John Russo.

Anthony Butler Jr. was convicted of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, failure to comply, receiving stolen property and obstructing official business.

Butler was then sentenced to three years in prison.

Officer Bartek, 25, was shot and killed during a carjacking on Dec. 31, 2021 in the parking lot of an apartment building at 4320 Rocky River Drive in Cleveland while he was off-duty.

Cleveland police said Tamara McLoyd, 18, of Garfield Heights, approached Officer Bartek in the parking lot with a gun, a struggle ensued and Officer Bartek was shot twice.

McLoyd then allegedly fled in Officer Bartek’s car.

Several hours later, Officer Bartek’s stolen vehicle was spotted by police and after a multi-jurisdictional police pursuit, the vehicle was recovered in Euclid and Butler was taken into custody.

McLoyd has pleaded not guilty to the charges of aggravated murder, murder, aggravated robbery, felonious assault on a police officer, grand theft, petty theft and having weapons under disability.

She is also charged in connection with several unrelated aggravated robberies.

She remains held on a $5 million bond at the Cuyahoga County Justice Center and her trial is scheduled to begin on July 25.

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