A white Cleveland police officer accused of firing through the windshield of a suspect’s car at the end of a 137-shot volley of gunfire that killed the two black occupants has been acquitted, touching off angry protests and compelling the Justice Department to order a review of the case.
After Officer Michael Brelo was cleared of voluntary manslaughter charges, the Justice Department said that they will now review the testimony and evidence presented in the state trial to find out if “additional steps are available and appropriate,” reported Fox News.
An Ohio court acquitted Brelo after it failed to determine if the officer fired the fatal shots that killed Russell and Malissa Williams in a car at the end of a police chase.
After the decision was announced, about 150 protesters marched down the middle of downtown Cleveland, temporarily blocking intersections as they raised anti-police slogans.
Vanita Gupta, head of the department’s civil rights division, said that the review was separate from its efforts to resolve a pattern of civil rights violations at the Cleveland police department.
A report in December had highlighted a series of examples of excessive force, including officers who unnecessarily fired guns, hit suspects in the head with weapons, and punched and used Tasers on people already handcuffed. (ANI)