Ohio officer fired for 137-shot barrage won’t get job back

CLEVELAND (AP) — An arbitrator has ruled the lone Cleveland police officer charged criminally for killing two unarmed black people in a 137-shot barrage of police gunfire shouldn’t get his job back.

Cleveland.com reports the arbitrator also ruled five officers should be reinstated without back pay after being fired for shooting into a car after a high-speed chase in November 2012. Unpaid suspensions for six other officers were upheld.

The arbitrator said Michael Brelo shouldn’t get his job back because of the “egregious” nature of his conduct. Brelo fired 49 rounds, including the last 15 from the hood of the car. A judge acquitted Brelo of manslaughter charges at trial.

The city paid $3 million each to the families of Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams to settle a lawsuit.