Cleveland Fires 6 Officers Involved In Deadly 2012 Police Chase

Cleveland Fires 6 Officers Involved In Deadly 2012 Police Chase

Cleveland officials said Wednesday they're terminating six police officers who fired during a 137-shot barrage that killed two unarmed people after a high-speed chase.

Six more officers who fired during the barrage face suspensions ranging from 21 to 30 days, said Public Safety Director Michael McGrath, the former police chief. A total of 13 officers had been notified that they faced administrative discipline, and one of them has retired, McGrath said.

The officers had been cited for joining the chase and leaving the city without permission. More seriously, some were cited for endangering other officers by creating a crossfire situation.

The officers fired at a car after a high-speed chase that involved 62 police cruisers and more than 100 officers. It began when officers standing outside police headquarters mistook the sound of a beat-up Chevrolet Malibu backfiring as a gunshot.

The occupants of the car were killed. Timothy Russell was hit by 24 shots, Malissa Williams by 23.

Of the officers who fired, only Brelo faced criminal charges. Prosecutors said he stood on the vehicle's hood and fired inside repeatedly after the car had stopped and its occupants were no longer a threat.

And for the final cherry on top.

Defense attorneys said the officers involved in the chase and shooting had probable cause to believe the people in the car were a safety threat. Investigators later concluded Russell and Williams weren't armed.

Keep in mind that this whole thing started because these people's car backfired in front of the police station. Apparently owning a hoopdie is cause to have police straight up chase you down and execute you for.

In any case, HOLY #! I'm glad the guy who stood on the hood of the car, firing into it is facing criminal charges, because I can't really think of much to say here. This is a clear example of excessive force and police overreacting to something minor that just a SMALL bit of investigation would have shown was nothing major. I'm not sure why the people driving the car ran (maybe because they were terrified for their lives), but it certainly wasn't reason enough to unload 137 bullets into their car.

Took less bullets to get Bonnie and Clyde.

originally posted by: Bluntone22
Took less bullets to get Bonnie and Clyde.

Hoopdies. More dangerous than Bonnie and Clyde!

a reply to: Krazysh0t

In any case, HOLY #! I'm glad the guy who stood on the hood of the car, firing into it is facing criminal charges

Unfortunately, he was acquitted.

Brelo, the only officer indicted in the incident, allegedly fired 49 of the shots, including 15 from the hood of the car carrying Russell and Williams. He was acquitted of manslaughter and felonious assault last year.

Source

a reply to: Krazysh0t

I think any officer should be fired if they put more than 3 rounds into anybody.
Armed, tactical body Amor, back up..what is the excuse

originally posted by: Sippy Cup
a reply to: Krazysh0t

I think any officer should be fired if they put more than 3 rounds into anybody.
Armed, tactical body Amor, back up..what is the excuse

Don't forget dogs too.

a reply to: Krazysh0t

There should also be disciplinary actions for those that left their jurisdiction. 62 cars chasing a hoopty is beyond ridiculous. Doesn't seem like that car would make it very far in a chase. As far as the guy standing on the hood firing in, that's pretty #ing infuriating. Are there any pictures or videos that show him doing that? He should have been jailed for acting like an animal if nothing else. Are there any indications on why these two were running from the cops?

a reply to: Krazysh0t

From wedemboys link...

Loomis, a veteran of 23 years, vowed to get the fired officers' jobs back. There is "no rhyme or reason" to the dismissals, and he said he and other officers are scratching their heads because the firings seem random, as if names were picked out of a hat.

What a joke,this is all for show,even the officer in the video in the link says that these people were high on drugs and did what they did which justifies the police response......

The only officer who was indicted being the one firing shots while standing on the bonnet of the car like a friggin cowboy,gets acquitted what a farce...

a reply to: LSU0408

They were being pulled over for a turn signal violation... and they were black. 62 police cars gave chase.

First, the police "believed" they heard shots. Then they "believed" they saw a gun. They "believed" that Russell was planning on running over them. There was so much gunfire (by the police), they "believed" they were in a gunfight.

The victims had no weapons.

Source

originally posted by: hopenotfeariswhatweneed
a reply to: Krazysh0t

From wedemboys link...

Loomis, a veteran of 23 years, vowed to get the fired officers' jobs back. There is "no rhyme or reason" to the dismissals, and he said he and other officers are scratching their heads because the firings seem random, as if names were picked out of a hat.

What a joke,this is all for show,even the officer in the video in the link says that these people were high on drugs and did what they did which justifies the police response......

The only officer who was indicted being the one firing shots while standing on the bonnet of the car like a friggin cowboy,gets acquitted what a farce...

They claim he was acquitted because it couldn't be determined whether or not he was the one that killed them. I agree, this is pretty infuriating. This is one time where the DoJ didn't do its job. The guy on the hood, I'm at a loss for words.

originally posted by: Benevolent Heretic
a reply to: LSU0408

They were being pulled over for a turn signal violation... and they were black. 62 police cars gave chase.

First, the police "believed" they heard shots. Then they "believed" they saw a gun. They "believed" that Russell was planning on running over them. There was so much gunfire (by the police), they "believed" they were in a gunfight.

The victims had no weapons.

Source

None of that really adds up. None of the stories mention that they were homeless or being pulled over for a turn signal violation or that a gun was present or that they were going to run over the police. They all say that the couple's car backfired near the station so the cops gave chase. It says Russell led the police on a 22 mile chase where he pulled into a Middle School parking lot and rammed another police car and that's when the shooting started. Wikipedia tells a whole new story. Are you assuming they were chased for being black? I haven't heard that version either but it explains why BLM was angry and protesting. It explains a few other things too.

Anyways, that SoB that stood on the hood of the car needs to be punished.

a reply to: Krazysh0t

Just an update; saw a news conference on this and apparently the mechanism is in place for these officers to be re-instated? You might want to check for updates.

This is just one of many reasons I'd never visit any of these cities; they're just entirely out of control. What a shame.

Also, the fact that it's now 2016 and this happened in 2012 is beyond ludicrous.

The whole system is broken- it's taken four years to get essentially nothing.

a reply to: WeDemBoyz

DAMN! You just had to ruin the moment didn't you? Oh well. It's not your fault. I can't believe that asshole got off. Standing on the hood of a car and shooting into it is something you'd expect a low level thug to do in a cheap 1980's action flick. Definitely NOT a police officer though...

a reply to: LSU0408

This is the first I heard of this story, so I don't know much about what happened. I'd like to learn why the two fled myself. Though, as I said earlier, that doesn't excuse the police's behavior. This situation should have ended like an episode of Cops. Chase the car down until it can't drive anymore then move in and arrest them for fleeing.

originally posted by: TonyS
a reply to: Krazysh0t

Just an update; saw a news conference on this and apparently the mechanism is in place for these officers to be re-instated? You might want to check for updates.

This is just one of many reasons I'd never visit any of these cities; they're just entirely out of control. What a shame.

Really? Damn... This is sounding more and more like its a slap on the wrist rather than an actual punishment.

a reply to: Benevolent Heretic

I didn't want to bring the racial component into the thread unless it was necessary. Even HuffPo didn't mention their skin color. So do you think them being black was a significant reason for the chase? I haven't actually made a call one way or the other there yet. It certainly crossed my mind as a possibility, but I felt like more information needed to be presented before making that judgement call.

originally posted by: LSU0408
None of that really adds up. None of the stories mention that they were homeless or being pulled over for a turn signal violation or that a gun was present or that they were going to run over the police.

There was no gun. They were unarmed. The stories from today are about the cops getting fired, but here's one from last year:

Both were homeless and had met at a shelter where they were receiving free meals.
...
The plates came back clean, but the officer tried to pull Russell over for a turn signal violation.
...
Several police officers reported seeing a gun in the car, and believed that Russell was trying to run them over.

Cleveland.com

a reply to: Benevolent Heretic

Wow. That is a good link you provided. Thanks for that.

Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams were in a car together. Both were homeless and had met at a shelter where they were receiving free meals. People who knew them told investigators they were most likely out looking to buy drugs.

Both of these things together tell me why they ran. Homeless people can be skittish around police. Especially if they are strung out or even dope sick. Compound this with them possibly looking to score (so likely they were dope sick) and you can piece together why they ran. It wasn't a smart decision on their part, but it certainly shouldn't have ended up with them having 23 or 24 bullets shot into them.

originally posted by: Krazysh0t
a reply to: Benevolent Heretic

So do you think them being black was a significant reason for the chase? I haven't actually made a call one way or the other there yet.

I don't know. I probably won't take a position on that. I have no way of knowing. But it's a distinct possibility. In any case, 2 more unarmed black people full of lead and 6 murdering cops alive and unpunished, who may not even lose their jobs. It's a story that has been repeated time and time again...