Cleveland Officer Found Not Guilty of Manslaughter After Firing 15 Shots
Protesters chanted “No justice, no peace” outside Cleveland’s Justice Department on Saturday after the not guilty verdict came in for a local police officer involved in the shooting deaths of two unarmed suspects killed by a barrage of more than 100 bullets.
Michael Brelo was one of 13 officers involved in a 22-minute car chase that resulted in 137 shots fired at Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams in 2012. Brelo was the only officer indicted for voluntary manslaughter, The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Officers fired at the car after it stopped and backfired, believing that the sound of the backfire was shots fired from within the car. But after the other officers had stopped, Brelo climbed on top of the car and fired an additional 15 shots through the windshield, according to The Associated Press. While prosecutors argued his actions were unnecessary, Brelo’s defense said he feared for his life, and that if the other officers were justified in their use of deadly force, so too was Brelo.
A Cuyahoga County judge agreed, finding Brelo not guilty of two counts of voluntary manslaughter or the lesser charge of felonious assault.
Clevelanders took their protests to the neighboring streets, chanting “Hands up, don’t shoot,” referencing the death of unarmed teen Michael Brown last summer. Others held signs reading “I can’t breathe,” Eric Garner’s final words before he died from a police choke hold. As Russell and Williams were black victims, their shooting deaths by white officers fall in line with the #BlackLivesMatter movement in Cleveland and throughout the country.
The protest against the Brelo verdict isn’t the only one happening in Cleveland today. Some 100 protesters joined Occupy4Tamir to mark the six-month anniversary of the death of 12-year-old Tamir Rice, killed by two police officers when he was seen holding a toy gun. As the investigation into Rice’s death continues, Brelo’s verdict hangs heavily on those seeking justice for unarmed black men and women who have died at the hands of white officers.
As Cleveland residents have taken to the streets in protest, others have expressed their outrage on social media.
Related stories on TakePart:
• Before Freddie Gray: A Timeline of American Unrest
• ‘Say Her Name’ Turns Spotlight on Black Women and Girls Killed by Police
• Jay Z and Beyoncé May Have Paid Bail for Baltimore Protesters, Says Collaborator
Original article from TakePart
