Police face discipline in deadly car chase

Associated Press

CLEVELAND

A dozen Cleveland police supervisors face internal discipline charges stemming from a chase that saw officers fire 137 shots and kill a fleeing driver and his passenger, the city’s police chief said Tuesday.

The supervisors failed to take control of the 19-mile chase that began outside police headquarters and wound through neighborhoods before ending in a barrage of gunfire, Chief Michael McGrath said.

An internal police review showed that both officers and supervisors broke department policies. The chief said a review is continuing into whether any officers will be disciplined.

The supervisors facing internal discipline are a police captain, a lieutenant and 10 sergeants. They could be demoted, suspended or fired after hearings scheduled for May.

The county prosecutor is conducting a separate grand jury investigation into possible criminal wrongdoing. The 13 officers who fired their weapons during the chase weren’t included in the internal review but will face one after the grand jury investigation.

The deadly chase prompted some community leaders to say that the shootings were racially motivated. The police union said the shootings were justified because the driver tried to ram an officer.

Some officers also thought the two were armed and some told state investigators they were frightened and feared for their lives.

Both the driver, Timothy Russell, 43, and his passenger, Malissa Williams, 30, had cocaine in their systems and criminal records. But no weapon or shells were found in their car.

Russell was shot 23 times and Williams 24 after a half-hour pursuit.