CLEVELAND, Ohio - The fate of a 19-year old Black Cleveland area woman charged in connection with the 2021 New Year's Eve carjacking and shooting death of off duty Cleveland police officer Shane Bartek in the Kamms Corner neighborhood on the city's largely White west side is in the hands of jurors, who will begin deliberating on Wednesday.
Tamara McLoyd, of Garfield Heights, faced several charges relative to the officer's shooting death, including aggravated murder, aggravated robbery, felonious assault, grand theft, and having weapons under disability. She did not take the stand and testify at her own trial.
Her attorneys told the jury that she was drunk and high when the incident happened. She could spend 20 years to life in prison if convicted.
McLoyd’s defense team says the state hasn’t proven its case while the prosecution says McLoyd admitted in her interrogation that she robbed and then shot and killed Bartek.
Bartek's mother, grandmother and twin sister watched from the overflow room along with a cadre of Cleveland police officers as the celebrated case was handed to jurors for deliberation.
Though Officer Bartek, 25 at the time of his death, was off-duty when he was killed, Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb deemed his killing that of an on-duty cop in order that the fallen officer's family could qualify for benefits, including funeral and burial monies.
McLoyd was on probation and under the supervision of the Lorain County Juvenile Court for a robbery conviction when she allegedly shot and killed Bartek. Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Mike O'Malley told reporters that at that time McLoyd had been convicted of robbery as a juvenile in Lorain County Juvenile Court and that she should not have been on the streets, though a judge who had released her from custody obviously disagreed with his stance.
Officer Bartek was shot twice in the back in his car, which was parked outside of his apartment complex. He was pronounced dead after being transported by EMS from the scene of the shooting to Fairview Hospital.
Surveillance video purportedly reveals that McLoyd drove off in the officer's personal car after she allegedly shot him. She ultimately delivered the car to Anthony Butler Jr, 28 and of Bedford Heights, the other suspect who was charged with fleeing and receiving stolen property. Butler took a plea deal and is currently serving a three-year prison sentence,
Police recovered the stolen car following a high speed chase through the city and several other communities.
Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com the most read Black digital newspaper and blog in Ohio and in the Midwest Tel: (216) 659-0473. Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com. We interviewed former president Barack Obama one-on-one when he was campaigning for president. As to the Obama interview, CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE AT CLEVELAND URBAN NEWS.COM, OHIO'S LEADER IN BLACK DIGITAL NEWS.
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