Posted on 05/25/2015 10:28:17 PM PDT by Impala64ssa
Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge John O’Donnell did something absolutely amazing on Saturday, when he chose to acquit white Cleveland cop Michael Brelo of manslaughter in the 2012 killing of two lawbreakers who sent police on a 22-mile car chase.
“Brelo’s entire use of deadly force was a constitutionally reasonable response to an objectionably reasonably perceived threat of great bodily harm,” the judge announced.
He added, “I will not sacrifice him to the public frustrated by historical mistreatment at the hands of other officers.”
What occurred in 2012 was that a couple, Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams, were driving past the Cleveland police headquarters when their vehicle backfired. The police thought that perhaps someone had fired a weapon, so they began pursuing the couple’s vehicle.
But rather than simply stop, the couple chose to lead the police on a dangerous high-speed chase. The pursuit eventually ended when their vehicle rammed into a police car in a middle school parking lot, after which they drove toward one officer.
Likewise, protesters in Cleveland took to the streets to confront police officers. One of them threw an object through a store window. Protesters also tried to make an issue out of “the fact that Brelo is white and Russell and Williams were black.”
The judge apparently didn’t care about race, however, because he chose to make his decision based on the actual facts.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about the Department of Justice, which has chosen to “review the testimony and evidence” because second-guessing the objective and non-biased decision of a white judge is the thing to do these days.
Backfiring is a rarity on any reasonably modern car...
Good point.
I’ve gone back through various news media reports....no one ever notes the year or model of the car they were driving. I’m in agreement....it’s extremely rare that a backfire occurs with any modern car. Also, it’s rare that when a cop turns on his siren or lights....that someone keeps driving....at a high rate of speed.
Well never know why the ran, but I’d think the fact that the cops immediately started shooting at them may have had something to do with that.
The first half of his sentence may have been epic, but the second half wasn’t: “I will not sacrifice him to the public frustrated by historical mistreatment at the hands of other officers.”
To be “EPIC”, this second half would have to read something like this: “I will not sacrifice him to a public whipped up into a racist frenzy by demagogues who specialize in destroying the lives of others for their own selfish gain.”
The car was a Chevy Malibu, 1978 or 79. If it has the original drivetrain the timing is adjustable, and if the car was out of tune or the carburetor hasn’t been overhauled after all these years, it could be very well be prone to backfiring.
I started driving in the 1960’s. The only way to get an automobile to “backfire” on que, is to intentionally turn the key off for a few seconds than back on. The vehicle needs to be in gear and moving. Cars made prior to column locks were easy. Once column locks began, it is increasingly difficult. Automatics forget it. Rarely does any vehicle manufactured since WWII backfire just driving down the street.
The whole event still sounds like a police riot to me.
“Why didja run, boy?”
“’Cuz you chasin’ me, why you chasin’ me?”
“’Cuz you runnin’, boy!”
But if you do run, you just gonna die tired.
150 shots fired at the car? That was all the ammunition they had....
same thought 1st time i heard this....I don’t think you can make anything 20 yrs or newer do it.
Used to be fun in the 60’s with my 49 Plymouth
Of course for those us who know what distributor (relic) timing is and how finicky the jets/adjustments on a carburetor can be, entirely possible...not to mention a bad coil or spark plug wires shorting.
Reading comprehension is a must if you want your comments to be thought of as serious and of an adult nature.
The police DID NOT immediately start shooting at them, they immediately gave chase and tried to get them to stop. It was not until those fleeing had rammed a police car and then tried to run over another cop that they opened fire.
Frankly this is the fault of the black community who have not taught their children the appropriate response to police which is to stop, be polite, don’t run, don’t fight and call friends and family.
That two-named mayor of NYC said indignantly he had to tell this to his black son. Well guess what Sherlock? We all have to tell our children this mantra. All white parents I know did, and my parents told me 50 years ago when I was living in and part of one of the wealthiest communities in the US.
Leftists are beginning to succeed in turning the US into an divided, resentful, Palestinian like third world country. I for one am sick of it.
If the vehicle was running so badly that it was backfiring, it doesn’t seem likely that it would be able to keep ahead of modern, presumably well-maintained cop cars for 22 miles.
Two Rares don’t make a right.
I also grew up driving in the 60's. I remember 50's and 60's cars that often backfired through the exhaust that sounded like gun-fire. Altough, back-firing through the carb didn't produce such a loud noise; it usually did a little pop and catch fire due to bad carb adjustment or dirty jets. Mostly, explosive tailpipe backfires were caused by incorrect degrees to top-dead-center due to bad distributor alignment or worn contacts on the distributor cap or worn points or even bad plug wires...sometimes a bad coil or failing condenser. All which affect correct timing of the internal explosion.
Yes, I remember you could do the switch off and then on to get a loud backfire out of the exhaust if you're okay to blow out your muffler.
Disclaimer: I currently own a 1958 Chevy Impala and while turning the distributor cap which adjusts the cylinder combustion timing, I can get that loud gunshot like out the exhaust. It was the nature of internal combustion engines at the time before electronic timing. In fact many low-riders would retard their inition to get a rap, rap, rap sound with their exhaust glasspacks with they eased off the pedal. Of course, it was detrimental to motor.
Perhaps not if properly tuned.
I learned to drive on my dad’s old Dodge 60s-something van, with a three on the tree tranny. The one with the engine between the seats.
That thing backfired like crazy, sometimes with flame shooting a foot out of the tailpipe.
Never had another car that did it, but don’t tell me it can’t happen.
As I understand it, the cop in question jumped onto the hood of the car after it had been stopped by other cops shooting at it, and put 15 rounds thru the windshield into the driver and passenger.
A total of 137 rounds were reportedly fired by cops. Does anybody else see a problem with this for supposed public servants whose #1 priority should be to not endanger random members of the public?
Such a rate of firing would seem to be more appropriate for an infantry engagement in Fallujah.
I can’t think of the last time i heard a modern car backfire
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