CLEVELAND (AP) - The governor of Ohio and members of a task force that examined fractured police-community relations said Monday they were concerned about the possibility of violent protests in Cleveland once the verdict is returned for an officer on trial in the fatal shooting of two unarmed citizens.
“We’re all watching this case up here,” Gov. John Kasich said.
Kasich’s remarks came during a meeting to discuss the recommendations of a task force that was formed in December. Kasich issued an executive order last week that will lead to statewide standards on police use of force and the hiring and recruiting of police officers. An advisory board will oversee new rules and will hold police departments accountable for abiding by them.
The police-community relations task force was formed in part because of high-profile police shootings like the one in Cleveland on Nov. 29, 2012. Thirteen Cleveland police officers fired 137 rounds at a car after a high-speed chase that night, killing Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams. One officer, Michael Brelo, was charged criminally because, prosecutors said, he waited until the car had stopped to fire 15 rounds through the windshield at close range.
Closing arguments in Brelo’s trial on voluntary manslaughter charges are Tuesday. The judge deciding the case has said he likely won’t deliver his verdict before May 15.
Last week’s rioting and looting in Baltimore after the funeral of a man who died in police custody has caused Cleveland officials, including the mayor, to speak publicly about efforts to prevent post-verdict protests from turning violent. Kasich said Monday that he’s coordinating and collaborating with Mayor Frank Jackson.
“Communities melt down and it takes forever to recover,” Kasich said. “We can’t afford to let that happen.”
State Rep. Sandra Williams, a Democratic state representative from Cleveland and a member of the state task force, said Monday that Brelo case differs from other police custody deaths because evidence has been presented at trial.
“Whatever the outcome might be, at least they were held accountable for their actions,” Williams said.
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