Cleveland firing 6 officers involved in 137-shot barrage

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Cleveland firing 6 officers involved in 137-shot barrage

Kantele Franko, Associated Press

Updated 9:27 pm, Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Cleveland officials said Tuesday they're firing six police officers involved in a 137-shot barrage that killed two unarmed black people after a high-speed chase.

Those officers included Michael Brelo, a patrolman acquitted of manslaughter charges in May for having fired the last 15 shots of the barrage in East Cleveland on Nov. 29, 2012. The chase began when officers standing outside police headquarters mistook the sound of a beat-up Chevrolet Malibu backfiring as a gunshot.

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 they faced administrative discipline, and one of them has retired, McGrath said.

The president of Cleveland's largest police union, Steve Loomis, vowed to fight the discipline and said grievances appealing the firings were filed with the city Tuesday. He described the firings as unbelievable, unprecedented and politically motivated.


Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/Cleveland-to-reveal-discipline-for-cops-in-6784871.php

[Chakab]

1. Good. I wonder if the fact that these clowns sued the city and claimed that they were disciplined

too harshly because of their race weighed in on the decision.

Yes, that really happened.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2014/12/01/white-hispanic-police-officers-disciplined-for-deadly-cleveland-car-chase-sue-city-for-discrimination/?tid=a_inl

[kath]

2. So why has this taken MORE THAN THREE YEARS?!?

[HughBeaumont]

6. Likely the same reason Tamir Rice's murderers aren't even being taken to task for their crime.

Cleveland luuuuuuuuuuurves their corrupt police force.

[valerief]

3. I'm confused. Why aren't the killer cops arrested and in jail? nt

[Little Tich]

4. 137 shots? Did they shoot until they ran out of bullets? n/t

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. "after the car had stopped and its occupants were no longer a threat" - never were a threat

That's the point. The 2 victims were unarmed. They may have been looking for drugs, or have bought some, so when a police officer tried to pull them over for a turn signal violation (ie excuse to look in the car), they tried to get away. And after that, the incompetence and aggression of the police led them to kill 2 innocent people who were never a 'threat' to anyone.

And that's why being fired is the least that should happen. These police officers were a proven danger to the public. They're the kind of people who shouldn't be allowed to use firearms, let alone have them issued by the state.