About two dozen people gathered on the sidewalk outside the Justice Center and police headquarters. Their message to reporters: they want public attention focused on the investigation into whether police officers broke the law.
Among them was Rev. Larry Harris, president of United Pastors in Mission. He says the report Attorney General Mike DeWine released last week left him with questions.
HARRIS: “Was there excessive deadly force? We need an answer. And if there was, will a criminal investigation take place?”
To Rev. Tony Minor, also with United Pastors in Mission, the shooting was, in his words, “a bad omen for the City of Cleveland.” Minor says everybody has a stake in the outcome of this incident – even the business community, which he is urging to be more involved in the quest for answers. He says it’s in their interest to make Cleveland a more welcoming city.
MINOR: “We as a city want to make sure that people feel safe and that no one is above the law. So this is just not an African-American issue, just not an East Side issue, but it’s one that all of us need to be concerned about.”
Both Harris and Minor were careful not to make specific accusations of misconduct. Prosecutor Timothy McGinty and a grand jury will decide whether any officers should face criminal charges.
