Reality is stranger than fiction. Before verifying this case, there is no way could have paid me to believe this was real. Unfortunately, it is all too real in this so called “post racial” America.

The 9 police officers filed a law suit against the Cleveland Police Department accusing them of racial discrimination after a deadly car chase and shootout on November 29th, 2012. The suspects they shot were black and found without any guns with them.

The officers – eight white officers and one Hispanic – claim the department has a history of treating non-black officers who shoot black residents “more harshly” than black officers involved in shootings, according to the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court Northern District of Ohio Friday.

The suit was filed on the eve of the two-year anniversary of the deadly chase, when 13 officers fired 137 shots at a Chevrolet Malibu driven by Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams.

Russell and Williams led police on a high-speed, cross-town chase. More than 90 officers participated in the chase, which ended in a school parking lot in East Cleveland.

Russell and Williams led police on a high-speed, cross-town chase. More than 90 officers participated in the chase, which ended in a school parking lot in East Cleveland.

Both Russell and Williams were shot more than 20 times. No weapon was found. The city settled a lawsuit brought by the families of Russell and Williams for $3 million. 

None of the officers involved in the shooting were fired or lost their jobs. In fact, they were placed on administrative leave for three days and then on a 45 day restricted duty period, according to the suit.

These nine officers said protocols were violated by the Cleveland police department when they were ordered back to restricted duty in June and July of 2013. This status stopped the officers from earning any overtime pay and had them stuck to doing “boring, menial task”, so they sued.

Everything about this case is unbelievable. How were the officers  not fired in the first place for this clear abuse of force on unarmed suspects? How are they even allowed to sue after they took the live of a young man and woman that was unarmed?

“Post Racial America” my A–.

– source: Cleveland.com