The Ohio Attorney General’s Office says their investigation into the Nov. 29 chase turned deadly shooting shows a “systemic failure” in the Cleveland Police Department.
Mike DeWine detailed the events of that fatal night, saying many police policies were discarded and the system failed everyone.
“We have violations all over the place, a lack of command and control,” DeWine explained.
“By failing to provide adequate structure and support, the system failed the officers,” he continued. “The number of vehicles involved contributed to crossfire that risked the lives of many, many officers. It’s a miracle officers weren’t killed.”
According to Cleveland police policy, officers are not supposed to join a pursuit without permission from a supervisor. Of the 62 officers involved, 59 of them never asked permission to join the chase, DeWine said.
The investigation also revealed the pursuit lasted 22 minutes, reached speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour, and that suspects Timothy Russell, who was intoxicated and had cocaine in his system, and Malissa Williams, who also had cocaine in her system and was a diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic, never had a weapon.
DeWine’s team searched the suspect’s vehicle, surrounding areas of the chase along with the chase route. They also used a metal detector and searched for a weapon in storm drains and waterways, but no weapons were ever found.
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article courtesy of Newsnet5.com
