Cleveland City Council members question prosecutor's objectivity in police chase/shooting

CLEVELAND - Cleveland City Councilman Jeff Johnson is fired up and wants a special prosecutor to replace Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Tim McGinty in the investigation of the Cleveland police chase.

“He tainted the process by standing up there with (Ohio Attorney General) Mike DeWine yesterday. So now he has to remove himself from that,” Johnson said.

“I have lost trust in McGinty,” said public safety committee chair Kevin Conwell, who agrees with Johnson on a special prosecutor.

During a news conference on Tuesday at the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation office in Richfield, DeWine along with McGinty spoke to the media. They discussed the investigation into the 13 Cleveland officers who fired 137 rounds, killing Malissa Williams and Timothy Russell on Nov. 29. 

Johnson disagreed with making the findings public until the prosecutor had a chance to review the investigation and decide on a grand jury.

Even though McGinty said he would call for a grand jury, Johnson and others said the current prosecutor can’t be objective.

“Will a grand jury be able to be seated properly with all this information out?” councilman Brian Cummins said.

Police Chief Michael McGrath said the second phase of the administrative review will begin with the questioning of the second and third district supervisors. Also on Wednesday, the Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association called for McGrath to resign.