Now that Cleveland officer Michael Brelo has been cleared in the shooting death of two blacks, one has to wonder if riots are to follow this weekend in the armpit of Cleveland. Crowds are already starting to gather outside of the courthouse where Michael Brelo was cleared earlier today.
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| Officer Michael Brelo cleared – riots to come in Cleveland? |
A Cleveland cop cleared Saturday on state charges in the deaths of two unarmed people in a 137-shot barrage of police gunfire could face federal charges.
The Justice Department said after the acquittal of Officer Michael Brelo’s on voluntary manslaughter charges that it would “review all available legal options.”
“We will now review the testimony and evidence presented in the state trial” to determine if “additional steps are available and appropriate,” the department said.
Vanita Gupta, head of the department’s civil rights division said the review is separate from its efforts to resolve a pattern of civil rights violations at the Cleveland police department. A report in December outlined a string of examples of excessive force, including officers who unnecessarily fired guns, hit suspects in the head with weapons, and punched and used Tasers on people already handcuffed.