71 Arrested in Cleveland Protests Over Officer’s Acquittal, Police Say
CLEVELAND — The police arrested 71 protesters overnight after demonstrations over the acquittal of an officer who climbed onto the hood of a car after a chase and repeatedly shot at two unarmed black occupants, the Cleveland police chief said.
Chief Calvin D. Williams said at a news conference Sunday that the protesters were arrested mostly on charges of aggravated rioting and obstruction of justice. Those arrested include 39 males, 16 females and a number of juveniles, he said.
The police said on Twitter that three people were arrested after a demonstrator threw a sign through a restaurant window, injuring a patron. Two of them were detained for trying to interfere with the arrest of the person who threw the sign, Chief Williams said.
The demonstrations began peacefully Saturday after Officer Michael Brelo, 31, a former Marine who served in Iraq, was acquitted of charges of voluntary manslaughter and felonious assault for his role in the November 2012 shooting. The demonstration turned aggressive in the evening, Chief Williams said.
“We only moved in to make arrests when things got violent and protesters refused to disperse,” he said. “We want people to understand, we’re going to help you in this process, but if things turn violent in this situation we will take action.”
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http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/25/us/71-arrested-in-cleveland-protests-over-officers-acquittal-police-say.html?_r=0
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