Tamir Rice

Cleveland, OH – Subodh Chandra, who co-represented the estate and family of Tamir Rice, said the following in response to a news report that the borough of Tioga, PA has hired as a police officer Timothy Loehmann, the officer who killed 12-year-old Tamir in 2014:

Tioga officials apparently don’t care whether a police officer was considered mentally unfit for one department, lied on his application to another, rushed upon and slew a child, and then lied about calling out warnings to Tamir—when his window was rolled up on a winter’s day. Loehmann—who should never again be entrusted with a badge and gun—is shamelessly determined to inflict himself upon other communities. He's also determined to hurt the family of Tamir Rice with his antics when he should just go live the rest of his life—life he deprived Tamir of—in shame. Let’s hope Tioga residents have the good sense to question the poor judgment of their misguided and indifferent officials.

Every time Timothy Loehmann testifies in a criminal case, Tioga officials and prosecutors will be required to provide defendants and defense counsel Loehmann's record of lying, which is known as Brady evidence. He's damaged goods and no community should ever want him responsible for enforcing their laws. Officials who do are betraying the trust of their citizens.

UPDATE 7/7/2022:

According to news reports, Loehmann has "withdrawn his application." Just as he did previously in 2018 in Belleair, Ohio.

Subodh Chandra comments:

While it’s all well and good that Loehmann will not be inflicting a reign of terror with a badge and a gun upon Tioga Borough residents and visitors, borough officials must be held accountable for their demonstrably, atrociously poor judgment and ineptitude. We’re investigating, starting with a public-records request.

This game of whack-a-mole with Loehmann shamelessly and repeatedly resurfacing as a cop elsewhere needs to end.

Subodh Chandra was one of the attorneys who represented the estate and family of Tamir Rice in their civil suit against the officers and City of Cleveland, and to assist them in pursuing criminal justice.

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