Michael Brelo
A Cleveland police officer who climbed onto the hood of a
car and fired repeatedly at its unarmed occupants in 2012 was acquitted of
manslaughter on Saturday by an Ohio judge.
The trial of the officer, Michael Brelo, played out amid
broader questions about how the police interact with African-Americans and use
force, in Cleveland and across the country.
Officer Brelo was one of several officers who shot at
Timothy Russell and his passenger, Malissa Williams, during a chase through the
Cleveland area on Nov. 29, 2012. Police officers fired 137 rounds at the car,
prosecutors have said, including 49 by Officer Brelo.
Other officers stopped firing after Mr. Russell’s Chevy
Malibu was surrounded by the police and came to a stop, but prosecutors said
Officer Brelo climbed onto the car’s hood and fired at least 15 rounds from
close range, including the fatal shots.
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