Cleveland Cop Who Killed 12-Year-Old Had 'Dismal' Handgun Performance

AP Photo / Jose Luis Magana

By Ahiza Garcia

 

December 3, 2014--The Cleveland police officer who fatally shot 12-year-old Tamir Rice on Nov. 22 had "dismal" handgun performance during training, the news website Cleveland.com reported on Wednesday.

 

During Officer Tim Loehmann's brief tenure with the Independence Police Department, he was characterized as "distracted" and "weepy" during firearms training, according to a Nov. 29, 2012 letter obtained by Cleveland.com.

The letter was written by the police department's Deputy Chief Jim Polak.

"He could not follow simple directions, could not communicate clear thoughts nor recollections, and his handgun performance was dismal," Polak wrote.

The letter also recommended that the department disassociate with Loehmann, who eventually became an officer with the Cleveland Division of Police, Cleveland.com reported.

"I do not believe time, nor training, will be able to change or correct the deficiencies," Polak wrote, according to the website.

The Cleveland police department was investigating Loehmann's actions in the shooting of Rice, who was playing with a toy gun when he was fatally shot, according to the news site.

The Independence Police Department released Loehmann's personnel file on Wednesday, which showed he resigned after six months, the website reported.

During his time with the IPD, Loehmann reportedly suffered from personal problems, which were outlined in his file and affected his performance.

Loehmann was reportedly hired by Cleveland police in March.