Cleveland has taken disciplinary action against 13 cops involved in one of the more notorious recent police killings of black people, firing 6 officers, imposing suspensions without pay on 6 more, and involuntarily retiring another.
In November 2012, police fired 137 shots into a car driven by Timothy Russell, killing him and his passenger, Malissa Williams, after a 20-minute chase.
Photo: This isn’t necessary to make a traffic arrest Russell and Williams were unarmed, but his car backfired outside a police station, which cops loitering outside the station interpreted as a gunshot.
So far, 1 cop has been acquitted of criminal charges in the case, and 5 supervisors are still awaiting trial on misdemeanor charges related to their failure to stop the chase. The Cleveland police union criticized today’s firings as “politically motivated” and said it will fight to reinstate the officers.