Ohio Gov. Kasich Releases Statement on Cleveland Shooting Verdict
Ohio Governor John Kasich put out a statement this afternoon on the acquittal of Officer Michael Brelo for manslaughter.
Brelo fatally shot two unarmed individuals while they were in their car, along with a dozen other officers, and when the car chase ended, he stood up on the hood of their car and shot at them again.
Protesters have already gathered in Cleveland, and in his statement, Kasich calls for peaceful protests. Here’s the full statement:
The court has spoken and we must respect its decision. Everyone must have the right for their response to be heard––including when they are angry and hurt––and voicing that frustration in a peaceful way helps us all rise above those forces that would hold us back and tear us down. In Ohio we are working hard to rebuild strong communities where every voice is heard and respected––and we’re making progress, but we’ve got a lot of work to do. Our statewide initiative to improve the way that communities and police work together, with better training, oversight and cooperation, is a model for the country, but we must stay at it. Even in the middle of the strong feelings many have today we can’t lose sight of how Ohio has begun to successfully come together. We are one Cleveland and one Ohio and, with God’s help, together we will keep building for ourselves and our children the kind of world that we all deserve.
The initiative Kasich is referring to above is the police standards board he announced last month to conduct a review of police use of deadly force, established in part due to the reaction from the death of 12-year-old Tamir Rice––another death that has rocked the city of Cleveland.
[image via screengrab]
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