Feds to Investigate Cleveland Police Use of Force

The investigation comes in the wake of a car chase that ended with officers firing 137 shots and two deaths


JOHN SEEWER, Associated Press | Thursday, March 14, 2013

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — The U.S. Justice Department is opening a wide-ranging civil rights investigation into the Cleveland police department that will focus on whether there are problems with too much use of excessive force.

The investigation comes after city leaders asked the federal government to look into police policies in the wake of a car chase that ended with officers firing 137 shots and two deaths.

Justice Department officials announced Thursday that their investigation will go beyond the November chase.

Thomas Perez of the department's civil rights division says the investigation will look at several years of excessive force claims, along with police policies.

He says there was no one tipping point that led to the wider investigation and that the department saw enough reason to move forward in its initial review.



Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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