tags: officer involved shooting, unarmed police victims, bonnie clyde, drugs, Ohio, black suspects, black lives matter protest, mental issues, homeless, suicide operation, shaheed
2 killed, officer charged and acquitted November 29, 2012 Shooting of Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams The shooting of Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams, two unarmed homeless African American individuals, occurred in East Cleveland, Ohio on November 29, 2012, at the conclusion of a 22-minute police chase after a Malibu in which a backfire noise was mistaken for gunfire. Thirteen police officers fired at Russell and Williams 137 times while they were in their car at a parking lot of a middle school. In May 2014, one of the officers involved, Michael Brelo, was charged with two counts of voluntary manslaughter, and was acquitted by a Cuyahoga County judge of the charges on May 23, 2015. The families of Russell and Williams filed a lawsuit against the city of Cleveland, and received a settlement of $3 million in November 2014.
*Reference
Wikipedia:
Shooting of Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Time | c. 11:24 p.m. |
|---|---|
| Date | November 29, 2012 |
| Location | Cleveland, Ohio, United States |
| Participants | Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams (fatalities) Michael Brelo and 12 others (police officers) |
| Deaths | Timothy Russel and Malissa Williams (November 29, 2012) |
| Suspect(s) | Michael Brelo |
| Charges | Two counts of voluntary manslaughter Two counts of felonious assault |
| Verdict | Not guilty |
| Litigation | Families of Russell and Williams filed a lawsuit against the city of Cleveland, received $3 million |
The shooting of Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams, two homeless African American individuals, occurred in East Cleveland, Ohio on November 29, 2012, at the conclusion of a 22-minute police chase which started in downtown Cleveland. Thirteen police officers fired at Russell and Williams 137 times while they were in their car at a parking lot of a middle school. In May 2014, one of the officers involved, Michael Brelo, was charged with two counts of voluntary manslaughter, and was acquitted by a Cuyahoga County judge of the charges on May 23, 2015. Timothy Russell had a criminal record that included charges of trespassing, domestic violence, petty theft, and robbery. Malissa Williams struggled with drug addiction and mental illness. Cleveland police had 33 encounters with Williams since 2001, mainly for drug or mental health-related issues
The families of Russell and Williams filed a lawsuit against the city of Cleveland, and received a settlement of $3 million in November 2014.
Contents
[hide]Backgrounds[edit]
Michael Brelo[edit]
Michael Brelo (born 1983–84) is an Iraq War veteran. When he returned home, he became a correctional officer in Bedford Heights, Ohio. He then joined the Cleveland Police Departmentin 2007. He has a fiancée and two children.[1]
On June 3, 2015, it was announced that an arrest warrant was filed against Brelo for an alleged assault on his twin brother, Mark R. Brelo, on May 27, in Bay Village, Ohio. The brothers turned themselves in on June 3, and were released on their own recognizance.[2]
Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams[edit]
Timothy Russell had a criminal record that included charges of trespassing, domestic violence, petty theft, and robbery. Russell had met Williams at the Bishop Cosgrove Center, where they both received free meals. He was living at the Metropolitan Ministry Center prior to his death.[3]
Malissa Williams lived at the Norma Herr's Women Center on Payne Avenue in Cleveland. According to records, she struggled with drug addiction and mental illness. Cleveland police had 33 encounters with Williams since 2001, mainly for drug or mental health-related issues.[3]
Shooting[edit]
According to people who knew the victims, Russell and Williams were mostly likely driving around the area looking for drugs. Russell was driving his 1979 light-blue Chevrolet Malibu and Williams was seated in the passenger seat. A plainclothes police officer spotted Russell's car in an area known for drug deals. After the officer called in the license plate and it came up clean, he tried to pull over the car anyway for a turn signal violation. Russell, however, did not pull over and a police chase ensued. As Russell sped past two officers, they believed that they heard shots being fired. As no firearm was found in the vehicle, the sound was most likely caused by the car backfiring. A minister who knew Russell later reported that Russell's car had a history of frequent backfires.
According to The Plain Dealer, the chase went up to speeds of 100 mph and a total of 62 police cars were involved at one point. Officers from Cleveland, East Cleveland, Bratenahl, theCuyahoga County Sheriff's Department, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, and the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority participated in the chase.[4]
After a 22-mile chase, Russell turned into Heritage Middle School, located in East Cleveland. Police officers believed they saw a firearm in the car and that Russell was planning on running them over. One officer subsequently opened fire, followed by others. The amount of gunfire confused the officers into thinking they were being fired at from the vehicle. In the end, thirteen officers fired a total of 137 bullets into the car, with Officer Michael Brelo firing 49 of those shots.[5] Russell was struck 23 times, and Williams was struck 24 times. No weapon was recovered from the vehicle.[6][7][8][9]
Legal proceedings[edit]
On May 30, 2014, only one officer of the thirteen who fired at the car, Michael Brelo, was indicted on two counts of voluntary manslaughter in connection with the shooting. He was the only officer who continued to shoot even after the others stopped firing, and was said to have actually moved forward and jumped onto the hood of the victims' car, after which he reportedly shot approximately fifteen rounds.[5] The two counts of voluntary manslaughter carried a maximum penalty of 22 years of prison if convicted. Five police supervisors were also indicted fordereliction of duty.[10] According to Cuyahoga County prosecutors, Brelo stood on the hood of Russell and Williams' car and fired straight down at them through their windshield after the twelve other officers stopped firing. Prosecutors said that the actions were unreasonable and went past his duties as a police officer.[11]
On May 23, 2015, Cuyahoga Common Pleas Judge John P. O'Donnell found Brelo not guilty of the charges. O'Donnell stated that while Brelo fired lethal shots at Russell and Williams, other officers did as well. O'Donnell also found Brelo not guilty of a lesser included charge of felonious assault, claiming that Brelo was legally justified in his use of deadly force.[11] O'Donnell read his 35-page verdict in court, and said there was "beyond reasonable doubt" that the prosecution had to meet to get Brelo convicted.[12]
The U.S. Department of Justice announced on May 24 that they will open an investigation in the deaths of Russell and Williams, and will review the testimony and evidence presented at Brelo's trial.[13]
Protests[edit]
Peaceful protests and unrest ensued in downtown Cleveland, which led to the arrests of at least 71 people as of May 25. Among those arrested were charged with felonious assault, rioting, and failure to disperse. At least 15 people were apprehended by riot police officers.[14]
Lawsuit[edit]
The families of Russell and Williams filed a lawsuit against the city of Cleveland, claiming they were reliable for the wrongful deaths of the two. In November 2014, Cleveland paid $3 million to the two families, which was split evenly.[15]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
Jump up^ "Who is Cleveland Police Officer Michael Brelo?". WKYC. May 21, 2015. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
Jump up^ "Cleveland policeman acquitted in shooting now wanted for assault". Yahoo! News. June 3, 2015. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
^ Jump up to:a b "Records portray families of Malissa Williams and Timothy Russell". Cleveland.com. November 18, 2014.
Jump up^ "Everything you need to know before the start of the trial for Cleveland police officer Michael Brelo". The Plain Dealer. April 6, 2015. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
^ Jump up to:a b "Cleveland police chase reached "Blues Brothers proportions" says prosecutor, while criticizing cop charged with fatally shooting two suspects". The Plain Dealer. June 19, 2014. Retrieved May 24,2015.
Jump up^ "East Cleveland detectives, BCI officials questioning 13 Cleveland officers involved in fatal chase". News Net 5. December 5, 2012. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
Jump up^ "Cleveland police-chase shooting: As more information emerges, so do the questions". The Plain Dealer. December 4, 2012. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
Jump up^ "137 police shots, 2 dead: Many questions in Ohio". Fox Boston.
Jump up^ "Minister who worked with Timothy Russell says his car often backfired". The Plain Dealer. December 6, 2012. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
Jump up^ "Cleveland Police Officers Indicted in Large Chase - ABC News". Web.archive.org. 2014-05-31. Retrieved 2015-05-29.
^ Jump up to:a b Cleveland police officer Michael Brelo not guilty, Cleveland.com, May 23, 2015.
Jump up^ More than 104 officers involved but one stood trial, WKYC, May 27, 2015
Jump up^ Diaz, Danielle. Department of Jusrice to Review Cleveland Police Shooting, CNN, May 24, 2015.
Jump up^ Ellis, Ralph; McLaughlin, Elliott (May 25, 2015). "Cleveland protesters appear in court". CNN. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
Jump up^ Cleveland settles with families of chase, shooting victims for $3 million, Cleveland.com, November 17, 2014.
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