Protests Follow Acquittal of Cleveland Police Officer
By Ralph Ellis, CNN
7:41 PM ET, Sat May 23, 2015
Story highlights
One person arrested when an object thrown through a window injures restaurant patron
Shooting victim's sister: "The judge gave him a pat on the back and said good job for shooting those people."
Cleveland police chief: "The city will not tolerate any violence or destruction"
Relatives of two unarmed people shot to death by Cleveland police in 2012 had harsh words Saturday after Officer Michael Brelo was found not guilty of all charges.
"We were expecting him to be convicted of at least one of the charges," said Jackie Russell, sister-in-law of Timothy Russell, said on CNN. "We feel as though basically the judge gave him a pat on the back and said good job for shooting those people."
"If this case was tried in any other city that police (officer) would be in jail," said Alfredo Williams, brother of Malissa Williams. "You know it and I know it."
Protesters took to the street immediately after Judge John P. O'Donnell acquitted Brelo on charges of voluntary manslaughter and felonious assault.
The demonstrators assembled outside the judicial center in Cleveland for two hours following the announcement of the verdict.
Some chanted "no justice, no peace" and "black lives matter," words heard in Ferguson, Missouri, and New York, where sometimes-violent demonstrations occurred after African-Americans died at the hands of white police officers.
Law enforcement officers formed a line and kept them from entering the judicial center. After about two hours, the protesters marched through parts of the city. Some formed a line on the Cleveland Memorial Shoreway, a freeway through town, and blocked traffic briefly.
One person was arrested when an object thrown through a restaurant window injured a patron inside, police said on the department's Twitter account. The overall number of protesters appeared to be small, perhaps because of the Memorial Day weekend.
Brelo, 31, was accused of firing the bullets that killed Russell, 43, and Williams, 30, on November 29, 2012, after a 22-mile police chase ended in a middle school parking lot. Authorities said Brelo stood on the hood of the car Russell was driving and fired 15 shots through the windshield.
Though about a dozen officers fired a total of 137 rounds at the car, no other officers were charged with manslaughter.
Michelle Russell, Timothy Russell's sister, said nobody will know why her brother didn't stop when police pursued.
"I know that those officers were upset," she said. "Adrenaline was flowing. By the time they cut off Tim and Malissa in that parking lot, they let them have it."
In explaining his verdict, Judge O'Donnell said it was reasonable for Brelo to think Russell and Williams still posed a threat to officers. The chase started after the car driven by Russell backfired -- a noise officers mistakenly thought was caused by gunshots. The judge also said he couldn't be sure Brelo fired the fatal rounds.
Social media buzzed with reaction, mostly against the verdict.
7:41 PM ET, Sat May 23, 2015
Story highlights
One person arrested when an object thrown through a window injures restaurant patron
Shooting victim's sister: "The judge gave him a pat on the back and said good job for shooting those people."
Cleveland police chief: "The city will not tolerate any violence or destruction"
Relatives of two unarmed people shot to death by Cleveland police in 2012 had harsh words Saturday after Officer Michael Brelo was found not guilty of all charges.
"We were expecting him to be convicted of at least one of the charges," said Jackie Russell, sister-in-law of Timothy Russell, said on CNN. "We feel as though basically the judge gave him a pat on the back and said good job for shooting those people."
"If this case was tried in any other city that police (officer) would be in jail," said Alfredo Williams, brother of Malissa Williams. "You know it and I know it."
Protesters took to the street immediately after Judge John P. O'Donnell acquitted Brelo on charges of voluntary manslaughter and felonious assault.
The demonstrators assembled outside the judicial center in Cleveland for two hours following the announcement of the verdict.
Some chanted "no justice, no peace" and "black lives matter," words heard in Ferguson, Missouri, and New York, where sometimes-violent demonstrations occurred after African-Americans died at the hands of white police officers.
Law enforcement officers formed a line and kept them from entering the judicial center. After about two hours, the protesters marched through parts of the city. Some formed a line on the Cleveland Memorial Shoreway, a freeway through town, and blocked traffic briefly.
One person was arrested when an object thrown through a restaurant window injured a patron inside, police said on the department's Twitter account. The overall number of protesters appeared to be small, perhaps because of the Memorial Day weekend.
Brelo, 31, was accused of firing the bullets that killed Russell, 43, and Williams, 30, on November 29, 2012, after a 22-mile police chase ended in a middle school parking lot. Authorities said Brelo stood on the hood of the car Russell was driving and fired 15 shots through the windshield.
Though about a dozen officers fired a total of 137 rounds at the car, no other officers were charged with manslaughter.
Michelle Russell, Timothy Russell's sister, said nobody will know why her brother didn't stop when police pursued.
"I know that those officers were upset," she said. "Adrenaline was flowing. By the time they cut off Tim and Malissa in that parking lot, they let them have it."
In explaining his verdict, Judge O'Donnell said it was reasonable for Brelo to think Russell and Williams still posed a threat to officers. The chase started after the car driven by Russell backfired -- a noise officers mistakenly thought was caused by gunshots. The judge also said he couldn't be sure Brelo fired the fatal rounds.
Social media buzzed with reaction, mostly against the verdict.
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