We're going to need a big push to
wrap this up. Let's git 'er done.
Posted on 11/30/2014 8:24:09 AM PST by Deadeye Division
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Nine non-African American Cleveland police officers accused the police department of racial discrimination in the aftermath of the deadly Nov. 29, 2012 chase in a federal lawsuit filed late Friday.
The officers - eight white officers and one Hispanic - claim the department has a history of treating non-black officers who shoot black residents "more harshly" than black officers involved in shootings, according to the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court Northern District of Ohio Friday.
The suit was filed on the eve of the two-year anniversary of the deadly chase, when 13 officers fired 137 shots at a Chevrolet Malibu driven by Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams.
Russell and Williams led police on a high-speed, cross-town chase. More than 90 officers participated in the chase, which ended in a school parking lot in East Cleveland.
Both Russell and Williams were shot more than 20 times. No weapon was found. The city settled a lawsuit brought by the families of Russell and Williams for $3 million.
The officers who fired their weapons were placed on three days of administrative leave and then a period of restricted duty, which is usually 45 days for officer-involved shootings, according to the suit.
Nine of the officers involved in the shooting -- Erin O'Donnell, Wilfredo Diaz, Christopher Ereg, Michael Farley, Cynthia Moore, Michael Rinkus, William Salupo, Brian Sabolik and Scott Sistek -- claim the department violated protocol by ordering the officers back to restricted duty after being allowed to return to the streets in June and July 2013.
The orders prevent the officers from earning overtime pay and relegate them to "boring, menial tasks."
The suit, which does not seek a specific amount of damages, claims the punishment has impaired the officers' professional reputations and caused "emotional distress and mental anguish."
Further, the suit claims the officers should not be held responsible for the shooting because Attorney General Mike DeWine said the incident was part of a "systemic failure" by the department as a whole.
(Note: Read the entire lawsuit in the document viewer below.)
The suit comes during a particularly tense time in the city's recent history, after a rookie officer fatally shot a 12-year-old boy carrying what turned out to be an airsoft gun in Cudell Commons park Nov. 22.
The officer is white. The boy was black.
After the shooting and a grand jury's decision not to charge Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown, protestors stormed onto the Shoreway, shuttering one of the city's main thoroughfares in and out of downtown during rush hour Tuesday.
At a community meeting at Cudell Recreation Center later that night, residents brought harsh questions for city and police leaders.
This is really interesting. I encourage everyone to watch the video.
That's an over the top response and exactly the sort of thing that fuels events like Ferguson. This needs to stop.
“”Further, the suit claims the officers should not be held responsible for the shooting because Attorney General Mike DeWine said the incident was part of a “systemic failure” by the department as a whole.”””
Seems like they learned from Obama - blame someone else for their actions.
No doubt their is overwhelming evidence to prove their case, much more than what is now available on the surface.
“Nine non-African American Cleveland police officers ...”
Now, that’s what you call a word pretzel.
Unfortunate timing, what with two white cops shooting a black 12 year old boy last week.
that 12 year old was waving around a bb gun that was made to look like a real weapon. if he’d have shot a bunch of people complainers would have said why didn’t the cops shoot him, he was out there waving the gun around for everyone to see?
The officers -- eight white officers and one Hispanic - claim the department has a history of treating non-black officers who shoot black residents "more harshly" than black officers involved in shootings, according to the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court Northern District of Ohio Friday.Apropos of nothing: Cincinnati Ground Zero of Exploding IRS Scandal, But Answers Hard to Find, Al Sharpton, Democrats, honor Ohio woman convicted of voter fraud, and IRS Commissioner Aided Tax Cheat Congressman Charlie Rangel.
You must have missed the thread with the video of the incident. Time between arriving on the scene and blowing the kid away was about 2 seconds. There wasn't enough time for the kid to wave anything around or for the police to be faced with any kind of threat.
The neighbors had called him in prior saying the kid was waving a gun around. The responding cops were told that. Whether he had two seconds or not the cops already had that info. I believe they thought they were racing against the clock to prevent waving/brandishing from turning into worse.
they’re gonna get criticism no matter what. Especially if the suspect is a certain demographic. Too slow and cops don’t care if black people die from violence, why didn’t they shoot him before they let him blow away a couple people. Too fast, and well, that’s where we are now.
When they called it in they also said it was probably a toy gun but weren't 100% certain.
I believe they thought they were racing against the clock to prevent waving/brandishing from turning into worse.
What was so critical that the cop couldn't take the time to ascertain the situation? There were no other people in the video. Nobody was being threatened. No other lives were in danger. But instead of taking time the cop literally opened the door and shot him.
they’re gonna get criticism no matter what.
As they should in this case. The use of deadly force should be the last option and not the first.
Especially if the suspect is a certain demographic.
If he was of another demographic do you honestly think the cop would have been so quick on the trigger?
Too slow and cops don’t care if black people die from violence, why didn’t they shoot him before they let him blow away a couple people.
Nobody was in any imminent danger.
Too fast, and well, that’s where we are now.
And a 12 year old kid is dead for carrying a toy gun.
he wasn’t simply carrying it.
and as far as the demo is concerned, there’s a reason why that demo is viewed differently. that particular demo which is 3% of the population accounts for 75% of the gun violence deaths in the country. that demo charges at armed officers and tries to grab their service weapons.
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