Cleveland police union president ousted in member vote

Associated Press

CLEVELAND

The president of Cleveland’s largest police union who drew criticism for having his organization endorse Donald Trump’s 2016 candidacy and incendiary comments about NFL player protests has been ousted from the job.

Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association President Steve Loomis lost Tuesday by 38 votes to former union president Jeff Follmer.

About 60 percent of the union’s 1,243 members voted.

The head of the Black Shield Association, which represents about 200 black Cleveland officers, told Cleveland.com that some of its members questioned Loomis’ provocative statements and his decision to endorse Trump.

Black Shield President Lynn Hampton said black officers were dismayed to see Loomis taking stances that created negative press coverage.

Loomis said in a statement that he’ll continue to devote his career to “championing our profession.”