Cleveland police officers fired chase

screencapThe Cleveland Division of Police (CDP) has announced that it was firing six of the officers involved in the 2012 shooting of Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams. The shooting came at the end of a vehicle chase that started in Cleveland when an officer mistook backfire from Russell’s auto for gunshots, and ended in East Cleveland with more than a dozen officers shooting at the auto.

Steve Loomis, president of the union that represents Cleveland officers, said the firings were “shamefully political” and “the direct result of the current and false narrative surrounding the facts and law enforcement throughout this country”. One was terminated, two were demoted and nine were suspended anywhere from three to 30 days. “And we responded within our training”.

The officers had been cited for joining the chase and leaving the city without permission. The most serious accused them of creating a crossfire situation when they formed a semicircle around the Chevrolet and fired at it, said Commander James M. Chura, chairman of the city’s Critical Incident Review Committee. “There are manual rules and regulations that we expect officers to comply with”, McGrath said.

Six Cleveland police officers being fired after a 137-shot barrage that killed two unarmed people include a patrolman who was acquitted of manslaughter charges for his role in the shooting after a chase. Authorities never learned why the driver didn’t stop. He had a criminal record including convictions for receiving stolen property and robbery and had been involved in a previous police pursuit. A grand jury said last month that it would not charge the officer involved, determining that the shooting was justified. Both were described as mentally ill, homeless and addicted to drugs.

But no weapon was found in the auto or along the route. Brelo was the first of six officers to be prosecuted for charges related to the incident.

One of the officers who fired shots that night retired before he could be disciplined, officials said. Russell and Williams were each shot more than 20 times.

The union has filed grievances to get the officers their jobs back, Loomis said. Brelo fired at the civilians from the hood of his squad auto, officials said.

Days after the May 23 verdict, the Justice Department and the city of Cleveland reached a deal that placed the police department under the direction of an independent monitor.