Criminal law

Cleveland Police Officer On Trial For Barrage Of Bullets That Killed Two Unarmed Suspects

BRELO_-MICHAEL-J_1408554004487_7468772_ver1.0_640_480The trial of former Cleveland police officer Michael Brelo is in its second week and the jury will consider an extremely disturbing police shooting case where Brelo, 31, is charged with two counts of voluntary manslaughter in the deaths of Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams following a Nov. 29, 2012 police chase and shooting.


We discussed this story earlier of the killing of the unarmed couple.

Brelo, 31, insists that he does not remember standing on the hood and firing the final 15 rounds into the windshield — 15 of a 137-shot barrage. However, a fellow officer said that a few days later Brelo discussed the incident with apparent clarity of memory.

Only Brelo was charged among the 13 officers that night who fired the barrage. In all, however, he fired 49 of the 137 rounds. His counsel insists that he remained in danger until he reached into the Malibu and removed the keys. The theory is that the car was the weapon.

The chase started after a failed traffic stop. Russell sped past Cleveland police headquarters, where his car backfired – making officers believe that there were shots fired. A huge police chase then ensured with over 60 police cars and 104 officers. Trapped in a school parking lot, Russell tried to flee and sideswiped a cruiser and then came to a stop. Another officer opened fire and a barrage ensued.

Brelo insists that he left his cruiser because he said he was afraid the Malibu would hit him. However, he then crossed in front of the car to climb on top of another cruiser and resumed firing. Then later claimed not to remember the incident of jumping on the hood even though his footprints were found on the hood. Another officer later said it was Brelo and asked why he said Brelo was talking about it.

That makes for a difficult and interesting trial to say the least.

103 thoughts on “Cleveland Police Officer On Trial For Barrage Of Bullets That Killed Two Unarmed Suspects”

  1. I just saw a video of the Tulsa shooting. Unbelievable, a copies kneeling on the guy’s head when he’s already flown on the ground, with hands out. I don’t know if it was before the reserve “cop” shot him or after. Kneeling on a suspects head? Is that an acceptable form of restraint?

  2. My dad used to do that stuff when I was a teen sleeping in on a Sunday… Got my heart racing from rested to, “I’m up sir!” In no time flat. Of course I wasn’t bleeding out to a flatline heart rate…

  3. Annie
    BTW it appears that the PD in question has other “deputies” that give big… But are they as trained as this 73 year old in question? Prolly… That’s the sad part.

    1. Max-1 – the entire LEO force for Sun City, AZ is retired and part of the MCSO Reserves. The reserves buy their own weapons, uniforms and cars.

  4. Max, perhaps they think they can wake the dead by screaming “Hands behind your back!” very very loudly.

  5. Is it even legal to give police department donors an honorary police position? Sounds like pay for play or some form of bribery.

  6. Annie
    There’s this uptick of videos showing police shoot and kill…
    … Just not the uptick of CPR administered by said officer.

    Although I will say the necessity to cuff a dead or nearly dead man so as to stop the corpse from fleeing is impressive in itself.

  7. Paul C
    Annie and I are discussing a murder by a wanna be cop…
    … He’s gifted enough to qualify for a badge and a gun.

    Too bad the PD never taught him how to properly fire a taser.
    I’m sure he got his gun experience via the NRA…

    1. Max-1 – PDs have the own weapons safety courses they expect you to pass. You can usually try their website.

  8. Wonka – I like Darren. He writes fair articles and is a great moderator. All you can do is “poison the well” with your ad hominem attacks.

  9. Wonka – just when I thought you had learned your lesson you “poison the well” again. Another ad hominem attack. This is why your comments keep getting deleted.

  11. Annie,
    The video at the scene made it clear that the PD know how to render a man lifeless.. but can they administer life saving CPR? So anyway…

    The second cop that assisted in covering up the shooting by Officer Michael Slager is also a target of inquiry. Ought to be anyway, conspiracy to cover up.

  12. And do I have to go thru firearms safety class or does my doh-nation qualify me for head of the shoot-em-up class?

    p.s.
    What’s a taser?

  14. Annie,
    Maybe someday I’ll have enough clout with the PD that they’ll let me play shoot-em-up officer some day, too…

  16. I thought that the readers here would comment on the ugly TV screen at Wrigley Field which I mentioned the other day. This disgrace is far worse than Nancy Grace and much more important than some police shootings. Then there is the story about the murderer in California prison for life who is getting a vagina implant because he sued in Federal Ct and some dumb dork judge granted him his wish. Soon the taxpayers will fork out a hundred grand so that this guy has a hole in the front from which he can charge other inmates money to penetrate. His new name is Sally Forefinger.

  17. What’s the big deal? Apparently only a few of the regular right-wingers “get” that we now live in a police state. This is how LEO operates in all 3rd world countries, dontcha?

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