Cleveland Police Officers Indicted In Large Chase

CLEVELAND (AP) — In announcing charges against a Cleveland patrolman in the deaths of a driver and his passenger, a prosecutor cites a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling prohibiting police from firing on suspects after a public threat has ended.

Cuyahoga (ky-uh-HOH'-guh) County prosecutor Tim McGinty says Officer Michael Brelo (BREE'-loh) stood on the hood of the suspect's car and fired at least 15 shots after a police chase had ended.

In all, 137 shots were fired. Driver Timothy Russell and passenger Malissa Williams were killed. No gun was found on them.

Brelo was charged Friday with manslaughter; five supervisors were charged with dereliction of duty.

The killings have been decried as racially motivated — both victims were black — and a federal investigation is underway. The police union has defended the officers' actions.

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