Prosecutor, police union still at odds in boy's death

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Cleveland police union and the local prosecutor remain at odds even after the release of expert reports that found a white officer was justified in fatally shooting a 12-year-old black boy last year.

Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Tim McGinty accuses the Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association of failing to cooperate with the investigation into the death of Tamir Rice.

The union counters McGinty is grandstanding.

It is the latest clash between a prosecutor and union who fought over the prosecution of another officer in a racially charged case in a city under federal scrutiny for how its police force interacts with the public.

"The union operates by a double standard," McGinty said. "It rightly asks the general public to have the courage to cooperate with police in serious criminal investigations, yet when the conduct of officers is being investigated, refuses to help."

Union president Steve Loomis said McGinty is ignoring the rights officers have to not give statements during such investigations.

"What he expects us to do, because we're police officers, is just ignore the Constitution," Loomis said Sunday. He added: "We have rights like every other American citizen out there. We have rights just like the bad guys that we're interviewing."

The angry words come despite the release of reports by McGinty one legal expert said appear to lay the groundwork for a grand jury not to indict any officers in the death of Tamir, who was shot and killed last year outside a recreation center while holding a pellet gun.

"He can come in and hold a press conference and say, 'I've given the grand jury everything; the grand jury declined to indict; the case is now closed,'" Case Western University law professor Michael Benza said Sunday.