Tuesday, May 26, 2015
CLEVELAND (AP) — Cleveland has agreed to overhaul its police department under the supervision of a federal monitor in a settlement with the U.S. Justice Department over a pattern of excessive force and other abuses by officers.
The settlement was announced today and comes three days after a white patrolman was acquitted of voluntary manslaughter charges in the shooting deaths of two unarmed black suspects in a 137-shot barrage of police gunfire. The case helped prompt an 18-month investigation by the Justice Department.
The findings released in December required the city to work with community leaders and other officials to devise a plan to reform the police department.
Officials say the settlement calls for new use-of-force guidelines, a focus on community engagement, accountability reforms, training on bias-free policing and a mental health advisory committee.