The fatal shooting of the boy by rookie police officer Timothy Loehmann, last November continues to stir public debate.
Speaking at the Cleveland City Club, County Prosecutor Timothy McGinty declined to comment on the potential of Loehmann being tried for murder, but he noted that no police officer is above the law
TIMOTHY McGINTY: "Any belief that police are never wrong, and never need to re-evaluate reform, is itself wrong. The fact that poor tactics, policy and discipline are part of all the recent spotlighted tragedies is evident."
McGinty called for improvements in police discipline and training, and while acknowledging that the police have dangerous jobs, the prosecutor emphasized that officers must answer for their actions as public servants. The release this week of additional video footage showing officers subduing Tamir Rice's sister after he was shot has intensified discussion about police tactics.
The Prosecutor also announced his office was giving a financial boost to the effort to bulldoze abandoned housing in Cuyahoga County
McGinty noted that vacant buildings provides spaces that are often the sites of rapes, murders and drug deals. Now, he hopes a plan to fund demolitions will have a positive effect in reducing crime.
TIMOTHY McGINTY: "We are giving the city of Cleveland more than two million dollars in tax deliquency funds that the prosecutor's office controls for targeted demolitions near the main campuses of MetroHealth, on West 25th street, and the Cleveland Clinic, by Cedar Avenue"
McGinty said that that the city has identified condemned homes near both medical centers, noting that the demolition of the structures would improve safety and spur development in those neighborhoods.
TO HEAR COUNTY PROSECUTOR McGINTY FOR YOURSELF:
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