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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate NEWS NOW Roseburg shooting victim describes gunman's rampage ... Guest Opinion: Plaza fencing is ugly and wasteful ... Herb Rothschild Jr.: Require national service ... Roseburg shooting victim describes gunman's rampage ... Guest Opinion: Plaza fencing is ugly and wasteful ... Herb Rothschild Jr.: Require national service ... Ohio patrolman acquitted in 2 deaths amid 137-shot barrage A white Cleveland patrolman who fired down through the windshield of a suspect's car at the end of a 137-shot barrage that left the two unarmed black occupants dead was acquitted Saturday of criminal charges by a judge who said he could not determine the officer alone fired the fatal shots. Comment By The Associated Press DailyTidings.com By The Associated Press Posted May. 23, 2015 at 11:36 AM By The Associated Press Posted May. 23, 2015 at 11:36 AM » Social News CLEVELAND — A white Cleveland patrolman who fired down through the windshield of a suspect's car at the end of a 137-shot barrage that left the two unarmed black occupants dead was acquitted Saturday of criminal charges by a judge who said he could not determine the officer alone fired the fatal shots. Michael Brelo, 31, put his head in hands as the judge issued a verdict that prompted angry, but peaceful, protests: Outside the courthouse protesters chanted "Hands up! Don't Shoot!" while across the city others held a mock funeral with some carrying signs saying, "Will I be next?" The acquittal came at a time of nationwide tension among police and black citizens punctuated by protests over deaths of black suspects at the hands of white officers — and following a determination by the U.S. Department of Justice that Cleveland police had a history of using excessive force and violating civil rights. Before issuing his verdict, Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge John P. O'Donnell noted the recent unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, and Baltimore over the deaths of black suspects but said he would not "sacrifice" Brelo to an angry public if the evidence did not merit a conviction. "Guilty or not guilty, the verdict should be no cause for a civilized society to celebrate or riot," he said. Brelo — who fired a total of 49 shots, including 15 down through the windshield while standing on the hood of the suspects' vehicle — faced as many as 22 years in prison had the judge convicted him on two counts of voluntary manslaughter for his role in the end of a chase that began after Timothy Russell's beat-up Chevy Malibu backfired. His sister, Michelle Russell, said she believed Brelo would ultimately face justice, despite the judge's decision. "He's not going to dodge this just because he was acquitted," she said. "God will have the final say." Michelle Russell urged protesters to be peaceful and work for real solutions. "We need to organize and figure out a way to stop this from happening again," she said. Dozens of people walked in a mock funeral procession in a park near where the country prosecutor lives. Protesters carried a black, plywood coffin and softly sang "I'm going up yonder, we're marching, we're marching." The crowd was a mix of blacks and whites walking peacefully in the park and along city streets as neighbors looked on. Several Cleveland police officers followed the march on foot and on horses. Some carried signs saying "I Can't Breathe" and "Freddie Gray Lynched," references to a pair of police-involved deaths: the chokehold death of Eric Garner in New York City and the death of a Baltimore man who suffered a spinal injury while in custody. Community and city leaders braced for the possibility of unrest in response to the verdict, which came as investigators work toward a decision on whether charges will be filed in the death of a black 12-year-old boy carrying a pellet gun who was shot by a white rookie officer late last year. One activist, Carol Steiner, said the verdict is "a very bad precedent for Cleveland" with a decision still to come in the death of the 12-year-old, Tamir Rice. "Police murder people of color and not have to serve one day in jail." The U.S. Justice Department, U.S. Attorney's Office and the FBI will begin reviewing the testimony and evidence and review all available legal options, said Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. "We will continue our assessment, review all available legal options, and will collaboratively determine what, if any, additional steps are available and appropriate given the requirements and limitations of the applicable laws in the federal judicial system," said the joint statement. After the verdict, about 30 sheriff's deputies stood in front of the courthouse bearing clear shields as protesters with bullhorns chanted. One demonstrator bowed his head with hands folded in front of the phalanx of deputies, praying in silence. By The Associated Press DailyTidings.com By The Associated Press Posted May. 23, 2015 at 11:36 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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