According to local officials, Timothy Loehmann, the former Cleveland police officer who fatally shot 12-year-old Tamir Rice in 2014, has resigned from a small town West Virginia police department. This incident sparked nationwide protests and brought the issue of police brutality against Black people to the forefront of public discourse.
White Sulpher Springs mayor Kathy Glover announced that Timothy Loehmann, the police officer who fatally shot 12-year-old Tamir Rice in 2014, has resigned from his position effective July 1, 2024. While Glover did not provide any additional details regarding the matter, it has been confirmed that Loehmann will no longer be employed by the police department.
A request for comment has been made to Loehmann by The Independent.
According to Thomas Taylor, a member of the City Council, the decision to rescind the hiring of Loehmann was a direct result of public pressure. In 2014, Loehmann fatally shot a young boy within seconds of his arrival on the scene, mistaking the child’s toy gun for a real one. The incident sparked widespread outrage and calls for justice, which ultimately led to the City Council’s decision to reverse Loehmann’s hiring.
In recent days, social media has been abuzz with activists, including the head of Black Lives Matter Cleveland, drawing attention to the hiring of Loehmann.
In 2018, Loehmann resigned from his position in Ohio, and later in Pennsylvania, under comparable circumstances. It is important to note that despite the controversies surrounding his resignation, Loehmann has not faced any charges in state or federal court.
According to local media reports, White Sulphur Springs police Chief D.S. Teubert shared that he got to know Loehmann through mutual friends from their time in the military. The Chief also mentioned that he took a year to thoroughly research Loehmann’s background before deciding to hire him as an officer.
Teubert, a person with a discerning eye, conducted a thorough investigation and background check on the situation. He expressed his sadness over the matter and raised a question regarding the future of police officers involved in shootings. Teubert asked whether they should be banned from the profession or just face consequences for a particular incident.