News / Human Rights

Police arrests several over acquittal of Cleveland officer

Sunday, 24 May 2015 3:15 AM [ Last Update: Sunday, 24 May 2015 3:24 AM ]

Several people were arrested on E. 4th Street, Cleveland, Ohio, on Saturday, May 23, 2015.

Multiple arrests have been made during protests in Cleveland, Ohio, over the acquittal of a white officer who shot dead two unarmed African Americans in 2012.

A Cuyahoga County court judge said Saturday the decision to use deadly force by Officer Michael Brelo, 31, was reasonably justifiable in the deaths of 43-year-old Timothy Russell and 30-year-old Malissa Wiliiams in November 2012.

Thirteen officers fired a total of 137 times at the pair’s car after a high-speed chase, but only Brelo was charged because prosecutors said he fired 15 rounds even when the vehicle had stopped and the occupants were no longer a threat.

US Representative Marcia Fudge, a Democrat from Ohio, slammed the acquittal as a "stunning setback on the road to justice."

"Today we have been told – yet again – our lives have no value," said Fudge, who is African-American.

In a Twitter post, police said several protesters were arrested on Saturday night, including three who were taken into custody over aggravated rioting and other charges.

People gather at the Cuddell Recreation Center in Cleveland, Ohio, on May 23, in protest to Cleveland police officer Michael Brelo being acquitted of manslaughter charges in the deaths of two African Americans. (AFP photo)

The arrests were made after a restaurant patron in a dining area downtown was injured with an object thrown in through a window.

A large contingent of officers wearing riot gear began arresting angry people who refused to leave the area.

Protests have been mostly peaceful until Saturday evening.

A protester holds a sign showing Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams, whose car was shot at 137 times by Cleveland police in 2012. (AFP photo)

The deaths of other African-Americans at the hands of police or while in police custody over the past year--in Ferguson, New York City, Baltimore as well as Cleveland--have caused mass protests in American cities.

AT/HRJ

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