Protests flare after white officer acquitted in Cleveland shooting of unarmed black man and woman
As protests flare in Cleveland, the acquittal of a patrolman over deaths of two suspects shows difficulty in challenging use of force by officers
When an Ohio judge announced that Cleveland police officer Michael Brelo was found not guilty on two charges of voluntary manslaughter, it again raised criticism of the high bar to be cleared for an officer to be charged for unreasonable use of force in the US.
Brelo fired 49 bullets into the car where Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams were sitting, unarmed, in November 2012.
Congresswoman Marcia Fudge, whose district includes part of Cleveland, said the decision was a "stunning setback on the road to justice" for the victims and people of the city.
"The verdict is another chilling reminder of a broken relationship between the Cleveland police department and the community it serves," Fudge said. "Today we have been told - yet again - our lives have no value."
The streets of Cleveland returned to calm yesterday after police arrested dozens of demonstrators when protests grew increasingly aggressive in the wake of the acquittal.