Police arrests several over acquittal of Cleveland officer
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.
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.
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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