Cleveland School Cop, Matt Cicero, Calls Tamir Rice’s Mom A ‘Stupid B***h’ On Facebook In Wake Of Decision Not To Pursue Action Against Cleveland Police Officers
Cleveland school police officer, Matt Cicero, took to Facebook recently, posting what some are calling a “vile rant” in which he calls the mother of deceased 12-year-old police shooting subject, Tamir Rice, a “stupid b***h.”
The Cleveland school police officer has since been put on paid leave for the Facebook attack on Samaira Rice, but not before raising the ire of many.
The 43-year old Cleveland school police officer, Cicero, let loose the scathing attack on Ms. Rice in the wake of an announcement by prosecutors that a grand jury had decided not to pursue legal action against the two Cleveland police officers connected with 12-year-old Tamir Rice’s shooting death.
Cicero labeled his post atacking Tamir Rice’s mom with one of Facebook’s emotion options,”Feeling Annoyed” followed by a sad face to further underline this feeling. Then proceeded to speak his mind, including calling Tamir’s mom stupid and the b-word.
“Tamir rices momma just want money. Lets make the proper changes……raise your kids not to play with fake guns stupid b***h. All this media because the are not getting what they want…… Again pleeeeze anyone who does not like what I post…..unfriendly me or block me your not worth my time.”
[Image by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images]
When Cleveland police officers Timothy Loehmann and Frank Garmback rolled up on Tamir Rice who had reportedly been pointing a gun at people while sitting in a swing at a park, Loehmann opened fire on the youth, saying that Tamir reached for something in his waist band. That something turned out to be an Airsoft replica without the orange cap on its muzzle to signify its not being a real gun.
According to the Daily Mail, one of those critical of Cicero’s post argued that Tamir’s playing with a toy gun “did not become a sold platform for the death penalty.”
In response Cicero wrote, “You pull out a gun you get shot. I don’t have time to ask questions and coddle kids that wave guns around.”
The Cleveland school officer followed with a meme featuring a man holding two guns with a caption reading, “Quick, which one is a BB gun? Oops, too late… you’re dead.”
For the Cleveland school district CEO, Eric Gordon, Cicero’s comments were insensitive, but he also acknowledged the difficult job that “safety forces” faced every day.
“The comments posted are particularly insensitive, considering that Officer Cicero works for the school district that served Tamir Rice and his family. Even as we grieve the tragic loss of this child to his family and to our entire school community, we are mindful of the very difficult job of our safety forces in our schools and our communities. Neither our citizens nor those who police our communities should be painted with a broad brush, and I don’t believe we will ever find solutions to such complex issues through Facebook posts, especially posts that further divide us.”
Jeff Johnson, a member of the Cleveland City Council, wasn’t quite as measured in his response to Cicero’s calling Tamir Rice’s mom a “stupid b**ch” on Facebook.
“It’s an unacceptable public declaration or opinion being expressed by an agent who works within a school system that Tamir attended, and that his mother supported. So I think he crossed a line and I think it was disrespectful, not only to Ms. Rice, but to women in general by using a derogatory word.”
When or if Cicero will be reinstated to his role of policing in the Cleveland school district has yet to be announced.
[Image by Ricky Rhodes/Getty Images]
