The Heartless Felons gang in Cleveland gave its members orders to kill white police officers to avenge black lives taken by white police officers, including the Nov. 21 Tamir Rice shooting, officials tell the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office received the tip and deemed it credible enough to reach out to local police departments to make them aware of the threat.
The notoriously violent and fast-growing Heartless Felons gang has its roots in local juvenile prison systems but has spilled out to the streets of Cleveland. It’s the second largest prison gang in the state and its members are known for terrorizing detention centers. Various street crimes have been connected to the gang as well. Cleveland officer Timothy Loehmann fatally shot 12-year-old Tamir Rice on Nov. 21 when he responded to a call about a man with a gun near a recreation center. The gun later proved to be an airsoft-type pellet gun and the shooting is under review by a use of deadly force investigation team.