There is absolutely no reason for the Cleveland police union to have issued a statement today in the wake of the announcement that the city of Cleveland and family of Tamir Rice had agreed to a $6 million settlement in the wrongful death lawsuit of the 12-year-old. Zero.

But it turns out Steve Loomis and the Cleveland police union couldn’t resist another chance to blame Tamir Rice for his own death.

A statement released to the media (yes, the letter is addressed to “media”) notes that Loomis wants the Rice family (and the lawyers) to donate a portion of the settlement to charity to educate children on the dangers of both real and fake guns. 


There’s merit to education on the topic in general — Loomis made a push to get media coverage on the similarities between real and fake weapons last year — but A) today was not the day to fire up the conversation again, and B) his fellow officer who pumped bullets into Tamir could use the training first, and C) demanding the Rice family use the city’s death money to pay for said education is indefensible and offensive.

“Anyone who has ever wondered whether ‘tone deafness’ is a real thing need look no further than the police union’s leadership,” says Subodh Chandra, one of the Rice family’s lawyers, in response. “Reflecting in a few breaths all that is wrong with Cleveland’s police division, Loomis managed to (1) blame the victim, (2) equate the loss of life of a 12-year-old child with officers facing public scrutiny for killing that child, and (3) demand money from the victim’s family. Loomis’s comments suggest that his union still doesn’t comprehend that Cleveland’s police division needs a complete cultural transformation: from not hiring incompetents, to better training, to vastly greater accountability. If Loomis’s attitude truly reflects rank-and-file officers’ attitudes, then we Clevelanders are all still in deep trouble.”

BuzzFeed’s Chris Geidner pretty much sums it all up here.

*Updated to include comment from Subodh Chandra.

This article appears in Apr 20-26, 2016.

Vince Grzegorek has been with Scene since 2007 and editor-in-chief since 2012. He previously worked at Discount Drug Mart and Texas Roadhouse.

33 replies on “Cleveland Police Union Wants Tamir Rice’s Family to Donate Part of Settlement Money Toward Gun Education”

  1. In late 1948, Malcolm Johnson of the New York Sun penned a series of investigative stories under the title “Crime on the Waterfront”, which became the basis for the classic film “On the Waterfront”. Replace Waterfront with Lakefront….and the focus will center on the crazed antics of “tough guy” Loony Loomis.

  3. @ Robert Olschlager

    Wow, not only do you show true ignorance and how racist you truly are. You seem to be ignoring the fact that such statement made by the Cleveland police union shows no real class or tact on especially when you have they have no true right in demandingas quoted above “the Rice family use the city’s death money to pay for said education is indefensible and offensive.” I agree that an action plan should happen but not with money that is no concern to that union. If they truly wanted to take action as such, they should have addressed it when the investigation and trial were occurring. You have no right to make such an offensive comment about Tamar Rice’s mother at all for both you and I do not even know her, but for you to make such a statement only depicts how much hate you truly have and if there was a reversal of role that your child was shot and killed by the police, I betcha a whole 6 mill, that if someone else was to make such a narrow minded comment that is very much similar to yours, you would on a bigass rant and bitch about it. Ignorance is not bliss. And with all that discriminatory view and hate in your heart, will one day blow up in your face because with people like you, you will ended receiving the help by said “fat, lazy mother’s who spend it on hair and at the nail salon, or various other people who are of colour. Also placing blame on a child is truly sad of you. GET BENT AND FUCK OFF PIECE OF SHIT!!!!!

  4. Also for the record, she may have done things wrong with post of her child holding toy weapons or real ones, and I would never excuse such fuckery on her part but that her mistake and fucked up decision to make a foolish mistake that portrays her child as the stereotype of a typical black male but it’s also your mistake on judging the child at the end. His parents should have taught him better, but who is he to be blamed for the environment and the parents raising him

  5. Tamir was 12. The pig that shot him was supposedly a well trained adult. Too bad that was a lie. Unfortunately the shooting pig was fired by Independence for being too much of an emotional nutcase ti properly handle a firearm. Cleveland hired him anyway and didn’t check his background. Read those last two sentences again, if you think the pig shooter was justified in this case.

    Whoever does the hiring for the CPD should be fired, charged, and jailed, for letting a dangerous man join the force and carry a gun he was not competent to handle. They should also fire the asshole dispatcher, who failed to relay crucial information. Instead, many of you asshole commenters blame the mom. Fuck you. The adults are the ones that fucked up, regardless if they wear some authhoritian uniform and pretend to be righteous. They are not.

    That fat fuck Loomis should be questioning how an incompetent pig like the shooter got hired in the first place. Independence knew he was a danger to the public, got rid of him, and the dispirits at the CPD hired him. What stupid fucks. Still, Loomis licks their ass and pretends they are heroes. The DOJ report shows what incompetent, worthless, morons CPD really is. Still, many will blindly worship them, regardless of the mountains of evidence showing their fuck ups, just because it is PC to worship pigs.

    Finally, all of you assholes bashing Tamir’s mom can go fuck yourselves. He was 12. Most of you bashing the mom are just white racist shit bags. You are too stupid to properly hide your racism. If your kid was killed by an incompetent pig, you would be screaming for justice. You are typical government supporting lapdogs, supporting the police no matter what. You make excuses for incompetent pigs and the incompetent department who put incompetent and poorly trained pigs on the streets. Fuck the Cleveland police and fuck that bloated union ball licker Loomis. And fuck you commenters that bash Tamir’s mom.

  6. How about Cleveland Police be taught reason and deduction. How to notice this is a toy gun this kid is playing with. White kid with toy gun gets shot dead? Where? Never!!! Notice the kid…can probably talk it out of his had…before you notice the race. Scary idiots!!!

  7. so your 12 yr old little boy Tommy doesn’t play with toy guns? really? so a child in his neighborhood can’t play with a toy gun? because the police don’t recognize him as a child cause he’s black? So little Tommy is playing with his air pistol and the police pull up on him and fire without saying one damn word to him, and it’s Tommy’s fault cause he shouldn’t have been outside playing with his toy? you people are unreal, and full of it cause if Tommy had been shot in such a manner and his family got $10 million (cause they’re going to get more for the white kid) his family should donate some of that money to educating other children not to be outside playing with toys? bull—-! if Tamar’s mom wants to get her hair done everyday, that’s her business and money!!!!

  8. The Cleveland police department’s murder, cops should donate money out their paychecks for the rest their employed years on the force. And as far as where or how the spends their money is nobody’s damn business. If the cops are so worried about that money, stop murdering our sons and daughters, because we would much rather have them alive. If you kill you will pay, in one way or another.

  9. It amazes me how ignorant some people are. It’s no one business WHAT HIS FAMILY DOES WITH THE MONEY. She lost a son and no amount of money is going to take that away. She has every right to receive this money. Most of you fools probably don’t have children to understand the pain & suffering this family is going through. Just the thought of losing one of my kids sends me into a different state of mind. The city needs money to help educate kids about guns how about taking money out of your budget to teach your police department the difference between a child & a adult and pass a law that toy gun manufacturers can’t make toys look like real guns. They have to be bright colors so the dumb cops can tell the difference.

  10. Derail65. You are a racists ass. People use the word “thug” now days instead of using the “N” word. You piss ants having kids that end killing you or shooting up a school full of kids. Take care of your freaking people, y’all have your own problems.

  11. It is utterly shameful that the Cleveland Police Union would continue to rub salt in the wounds of this family. I also want to know what textbook these police officers followed. Remembering my ten years of experience your firearm is your last resort. That’s why you have pepper spray. an Asp, and Taser. The second issue I have is let’s just say that Mr. Rice did have a real gun and was brandishing it to passerby. Where was the safe distance and cover to assess the situation?! Sounds like to me that they had already made up their mind that Mr. Rice was a danger before they even arrived. I think that falls under premeditation. However, I could be wrong (somehow I don’t think so). I could go on but I choose not to cause I believe I have made my point!!! Feel free to wrap your mind around this and while you’re at it please put your family member in Mr. Rice’s place. Oh, encase you forgot I have seen tons of little boys and girls play with toy guns and not get shot!!! Nuff Said!!!

  12. It’s sad and a shame the way people are now towards others. But I guess the only way you can talk trash to and about folks is behind a computer keyboard. Lord help us!

  13. @derail65 — you brew the scrapings of your unwashed ass crack and call it “coffee”. you need to have your computer privileges revoked.

  14. Derail65, my guess is you crave welfare pussy. Some strange fetish assholes like you have. Since the poor women on welfare think you are a fucking pig, you became racist against them. Fuck you and your asshole mother, who should have scraped you out of her festering womb with a rusty coat hanger, before you had a chance to pollute the planet.

  15. Fuck Loomis and his police goons. This movement for Justice against police brutality and murder is something that I will not back down from. I do not have that option. None of us really do.This could be any of us. It happened to my sister when she was murdered by a cowardly black Cleveland cop more than 26 years ago, and I have a son that had just turned 26 years old. These are human lives, these are our children playing in the park. My voice will not be drowned out. I will not stand by as a witness to this injustice that’s been happening in this country for far too long. We all must keep fighting, rallying, organizing and communicating with one another because the names of the victims should never be forgotten, we must be their voice!!! People need to know that they have a voice that can be heard if we come together for change, but not any old change or the lies and notions of mere reforms, better training to how to better murder us, nor supervision that turn a blind eye to their crimes against humanity, or better politicians that can’t keep their promises under a system that oppress and is corrupt from its core, but a revolutionary change and nothing less. I know most people in this country do not agree with what is happening and feel that they are helpless against it. I want to tell them that there are so many ways to get involved. They can be a part of this great movement for change. I felt like I had done my part but I know now that there are so many other ways I could have gotten involved. I was more powerful than I knew. I could have contacted organizations, the families of victims or utilized my own strengths to contribute in some way. All our lives are valuable. We deserve to live in peace and we deserve justice. If we bring all of our strengths together, I promise you we will be a force to be reckoned with but we will also be a part of a powerful and much needed change in this country.

  17. So this piece of human feels African Americans should deny their children the privilege of playing with Toy Guns while they take theirs to gun ranges to train how to use Assault Weapons?

  18. Everyone that has seen the video sees the murderer in a footrace with his partner almost to the point of slipping to see who could murder the child first. 2 seconds. I call psychopath…

  19. How many more Millions can they afford to pay out for having dumbass officers on the force?? Sue the Unions and see how quick they stop shooting people.

  20. That cop jumped out and in less than a few seconds killed that little boy.No thought process except kill.That was not his job especially when they have white grown men shoot at cops and not get shot.Don’t even suggest this cop did the right thing.He is a murderer and if he wakes up shaking and in tears every night for it all the better.

  22. I don’t mind if she does get her hair done everyday; SHE CANT KISS HER CHILD EVERYDAY. I don’t mind if she get her nails done everyday; SHE CANT HOLD HER CHILD EVERY DAY. WhatEVER she does with her money is her business, and hers alone. Until you suffer for losing your child because of who he is, THEN you will continue to give uniformed suggestions on what should be done with HER money. DON’T YOU HAVE OTHER THINGS TO DO – LIKE GET CPD IN ORDER, SO THESE THINGS WONT CONTINUE HAPPENING? ….riiiight, blame the victim…..

  23. I think this is a great idea. Teach kids not to point a gun at a cop. Toy or real. When faced with split second decision your life or theirs most people will choose their own life. Only thing I would have done different is wait a week or two before issuing statement. If you point a gun at a cop real or fake you deserve to get shot

  24. Loomis is a stone cold psychopath and I can only hope that one day the evil this man creates is visited back on him tenfold.

  25. I advocated NO TOY GUNS policy when worked for TARGET – they told me that TOY GUNS are biggest money maker at XMas time for the stores !
    Target does not sell Cigarettes and Alcohol (hard liquer) – but didn’t see anything wrong in making money on potentially “KILLING” (promoting violence) merchandise ?!?!?!
    How about police department asks toy manufacturers and dealers to PAY INTO FUND EDUCATING CHILDREN ?????
    to ask the FAMILY to pay is INSULT TO INJURY !
    shame on them !

  27. Smart idea, Tamir never pointed the gun at any cop. That’s just one of the many lies told by his murderers that was disproven when the video came out.

  28. Loomis is an a__hole. He should ask the police union pay money for hiring that incompetent pig of a police that killed that child. He is nothing but an under cover KKK. I dispise him for suggesting Tamir’s mom should give to the same organization that murdered her child and got away with it. What a piece of shit slime ball he is.

  29. Why should they have to pay for something that is truly your job to do in the first place???? If y’all weren’t so busy spending the taxes dollars and giving each other raises maybe you wouldn’t have to ask for any money and maybe we could down on the killings and find real true police officers that want to help instead of harrassing the people y’all have already hurt….. So sad the system is a joke.

  30. Hopefully some of the $6 million will go to the city’s plans. His mother doesn’t need all that, she’s just trying to get all the attention she can get out of this. Obviously the shooting was a sign of bad parenting on her part. Act like a thug, you’ll get treated like one.

  32. sadly my post is kind of late as I usually never read the scene..but it is a good alternative to toilet paper when the need to clean is strong..lol..what I see here is a lack of respect for the Police who’s jobs the folks here who post such hatred could NEVER touch for there lack of an education… it is embarrassing when folks cant hold a discussion without showing stupidity…scene..allowing this hate fest to post show a lack of respect on your part..sure, bad folks everywhere..in the police,fire,teaching and ministry….but..we must grow up ..sadly…no one here except myself have grown up..smh.

  33. Why call the cops pigs? I know dozens of them who laugh at the phrase because it does not offend them at all! Same with the term “cracker” nobody is offended when you racists throw hatred at anything you can. This was an unfortunate incident where a child died and didn’t have to. Not because the cop wanted to kill him because of any reason. But maybe take in the facts that he shouldn’t have been out late pointing guns which were fake, however sometimes you can’t tell at anyone.. the cop made a split second decision that if he was wrong and the gun was real he is dead or worse case senecio he truly believes the gun is real and pulls the trigger and kills a child. Do you think that would be something easy to sleep with? It’s very unfortunate for the child his family and the cop and his family…

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