East Cleveland Police Chief: Residue test crucial in car chase, shooting investigation

EAST CLEVELAND: - More than 30 officers were involved with chase that ended in two people shot to death and 13 Cleveland Division of Police officers fired their guns, said East Cleveland Police Chief Ralph Spotts.

On Thursday, an officer said he heard a shot fired near the Cuyahoga County Justice Center from a car, which started the roughly 25-minute chase. It ended behind an East Cleveland middle school, were officers shot 137 times, killing a 30-year-old woman and a 43-year-old man.

Those officers were scheduled to be interviewed Tuesday and Wednesday at the Bureau of Criminal Investigation in Richfield.

BCI is also checking surveillance cameras at businesses downtown and all along chase route. Officials are examining RTA cameras to see if couple in the car ever had or fired a gun.

Results from residue testing of victims Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams’ hands could be done by the end of this week or the beginning of next week. Spotts said this is a “crucial test”, although no gun was found in the car.

Police radio dispatch said the driver had on a "pair of black gloves, but no gun," and was holding a "red pop can.”

The investigation into the shooting is being handled by BCI, with East Cleveland police and the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office. But Cleveland police will be doing an investigation into police policy and use of force.

The use Cleveland Division of Police use of deadly force policy has had four revisions since 2005, the most recent in 2006 and 2007.

Dan Tierney with the Ohio Attorney General's Office said there is no time table on when the investigation will be complete. BCI will not be able to provide much information until its turned over to the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's office.