The Cleveland officer who shot and killed 12-year-old Tamir Rice is taking steps to earn his job back after almost eight months off the force.
Embattled Officer Timothy Loehmann, who was fired not for shooting Rice, but for fibbing on his job application, will begin arbitration proceedings Wednesday, Jan. 10, four sources familiar with the matter told Cleveland.com. The proceedings are scheduled to last three days, but there’s no word on how long it’ll be before the arbitrator’s decision.
The Cleveland Police Department fired Loehmann in May after an internal review found that he’d provided inaccurate details about his previous experience as a law enforcement officer on his application. The former officer failed to disclose the fact that he was booted from the Independence, Ohio Police Department after he was deemed unfit to serve as a cop, thanks to a series of incidents and a reported emotional breakdown, according to Vice News.
Loehmann and his partner, Officer Frank Garmback, made headlines in 2014 after receiving a call about an African-American male pointing a toy a gun in a local park. The emergency dispatcher failed to tell the cops the gun was likely a fake, however, resulting in Loehmann shooting and killing the young boy less than three seconds after arriving on the scene.
Garmback, who was given a 10-day suspension for his role in the shooting, went to his arbitration last month, the four sources said. He’s currently fighting the discipline and is still waiting to hear back on a decision.
Arbitrators typically try to have their decisions finalized within 60 days but can request an extension if need be, Cleveland.com reported.
Both Loehmann and Garmack were cleared of any wrongdoing in Rice’s death by the city’s Critical Incident Response Committee. The City of Cleveland, which also admitted no wrongdoing, awarded the slain boy’s family a $6 million settlement in April 2016.
