It's now been nearly a month since Cleveland Police Department Officer Timothy Loehman
shot, killed, and lied about 12-year-old Tamir Rice.
Below the fold are five things we should immediately demand from the Cleveland Police Department.
1. Officer Timothy Loehman was judged unfit for duty, failed his gun training, and had the commanding officer at his previous job write, " I do not believe time, nor training, will be able to change or correct these deficiencies."
We demand to know why the Cleveland Police Department ignored this report.
2. At least six lies appear to have been told in the police report filed by Officer Timothy Loehman, including that Tamir withdrew and pointed the gun at officers. These lies are detailed here and here.
We demand to get basic answers for these clear and obvious lies that do not match up at all with the video from the community center.
3. When the Cleveland Police Department released footage from the local community center, they cut the footage off soon after the shooting took place. We have since learned that Tamir's sister reportedly rushed to the scene to help him and was handcuffed and put into the back of the police car while Tamir was dying on the ground. It has also been reported that police refused Tamir first aid for over four minutes while he was still fighting to survive.
We demand to see this entire video of the scene and other misconduct by the police.
4. When a concerned citizen called 911 to report that it appeared a kid had a fake gun, neither the fact that Tamir was a kid or that the gun appeared fake was relayed to the police.
We demand to know why these key details were not properly communicated to the dispatch.
UPDATE on #5 :: This point below actually just happened.
5. The death of Tamir Rice is an indisputable tragedy for his family, the community, and for our entire nation. It is reasonable that people are outraged and heartbroken. It is heroic that Cleveland Browns player Andrew Hawkins wore a shirt in his warm-up to show solidarity with Tamir's family, but the Cleveland Police Union called it "pathetic" and insulted the intelligence of Hawkins and athletes in general.
We demand the Cleveland Police Department disavow itself from this incendiary statement and publicly state that it did not represent the thoughts of the department.