Cleveland Police Chief Issues No Discipline to Officer Accused of Wrongdoing in Detaining Tamir Rice’s Sister After Deadly Police Shooting

Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams issued no discipline to a supervisor accused of wrongdoing in her handling of Tamir Rice’s sister in the moments after a rookie police officer fatally shot the girl’s 12-year-old brother.

Williams dismissed the civilian complaint Monday against Sgt. Janell Rutherford, Cleveland Fraternal Order of Police President Brian Betley said.

Cleveland police Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia said the decision would not become official until the end of a 30-day period during which an appeal can be made to Public Safety Director Michael McGrath.

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The civilian complaint was filed in 2015 by Tamir’s sister, Tajai Rice.

She was inside the Cudell Recreation Center at the time of the Nov. 14, 2014 shooting. Her brother was outside near the gazebo when she heard gunshots and saw her brother on the ground. Tajai Rice rushed to her brother, but was confronted by officer Frank Garmback. {snip}

Tajai Rice wrote in her complaint that officers knocked her to the ground, placed her in handcuffs less than 10 feet from her dying brother and detained her in the back of a police cruiser for 64 minutes.

A grand jury declined to charge Garmback and Loehmann. Garmback was suspended 10 days for driving the car too close to Tamir, but an arbitrator later halved that punishment.

Loehmann was cleared in the shooting, but was fired for lying on his police application. {snip}

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