Aaron Josefczyk/Reuters
Officials in Cleveland say internal disciplinary charges have been brought against three police officers involved in the 2014 killing of 12-year-old Tamir Rice, a black boy fatally shot while playing with a pellet gun. Officer Timothy Loehmann, who shot Tamir, and Frank Garmback, who was driving their squad car that day, face disciplinary hearings after prosecutors earlier declined to prosecute them over the shooting. Loehmann is accused of neglecting to inform the Cleveland Police Department of disciplinary action at an earlier job after an emotional breakdown. Garmback faces discplinary action for driving too close to Tamir at the scene and failing to report the officers’ arrival time. A third officer, William Cunningham, is in hot water for working off-duty at the recreation center where Tamir was shot but failing to inform superiors. The Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association released a statement defending Loehmann after the disciplinary charges were announced Friday. “It appears that the actual charges are created to discipline him, and perhaps discharge him, despite the fact that he did nothing wrong that day,” union president Stephen S. Loomis said in the statement. Tamir’s family has already settled a civil suit with the city for $6 million over the 2014 shooting, which triggered nationwide protests and exacerbated tensions between the public and police.