CAUGHT UP IN THE MOMENT

Brain fart or deliberate lie

By Bob Walsh

PACOVILLA Corrections blog
April 6, 2015

Michael Berlo, 31, is a cop in Cleveland, Ohio. He is now on trial for two counts of voluntary manslaughter related to an on-duty incident. The situation is somewhat murky.

Berlo was one of the officers involved in the stopping of a car carrying Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams in November of 2012. A total of 13 officers fired a total of 146 shots into the car, resulting in the death of both occupants. He is the only one being charged. He fired 49 of those rounds.

The incident started with a police chase in which the car refused to stop. As they blew past a Cleveland P D Headquarters their car backfired leading both cops and civilian bystanders to believe the occupants of the car were armed and shooting. Neither was in fact the case.

The chase eventually involved 104 cops, 60 plus police vehicles and speeds of over 100 mph. It ran more than 20 minutes. The bad guys made a turn in the school parking lot and tried to continue to flee, striking a cop car in the process, which legitimately qualifies as ADW on a peace officer. The shooting then started. Both occupants were hit at least 20 times.

Brelo, however, MIGHT have overdone it. He apparently jumped onto the hood of the car and emptied his gun through the windshield beginning at least 4 second after everybody else stopped shooting. His lawyer is maintaining that the situation was not fully stabilized until Brelo reached into the car and pulled the keys.

Brelo’s foot prints are on the hood of the car and at least one cop has testified that the above description is how it went down. Brelo now asserts he doesn’t remember being up on the hood of the car even though at least one officer has testified that Brelo spoke about if for several days afterwards. He now does not denied it happened that way, he says he doesn’t remember it happening that way.

Eric Holder says the Cleveland P D has a pattern and practice of using excessive force. (Gee, what a surprise that is.)

Brelo could get 25 years if found guilty. The city has already paid out $3 million to the families of the dead people.

EDITOR’S COMMENT: Keystone Cops!

What else can you call a chase by 104 cops in more than 60 cop cars with hundreds of shots fired but a Keystone Cop event.

I don’t like to be an armchair critic where cops are concerned, but this case leaves me flabbergasted. In a highly charged situation like this, the shooting frenzy is explained by one cop opening fire and, like lemmings following their leader, other officer open up with a fusillade of gunfire.

As for Officer Michael Berlo, where did he ever learn police tactics? It could not have been on this planet. Jumping on the hood of the suspect’s car is just plain lunacy. Emptying his gun through the windshield four seconds after all the other cops had stopped firing made this Keystone cop a candidate for murder charges. He more than just ‘overdone’ it.

Latest news reports say that other officers are refusing to cooperate with prosecutors. By trying to protect Berlo under these circumstances, his fellow officers will be seen like the dipshit he is.

I’d say Berlo is both a brain fart and a liar!