Medical examiner: 2nd suspect in Cleveland police chase turned fatal shooting shot 23 times by cops

CLEVELAND - The man shot and killed by Cleveland police during a chase through the city last week was shot 23 times.

The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office said Timothy Russell suffered 23 gunshot wounds to his head, neck, torso and extremities.

Police said Russell, 43, and Malissa Williams, who was shot 24 times, were the suspects in the 22-minute chase late Thursday.

The high-speed chase ended with 137 shots fired by police outside Heritage Middle School in East Cleveland.

The pursuit began near the Justice Center in downtown after an officer thought he heard gunfire from the car Russell and Williams were in. The family is wondering if it was backfire from the car and not gunfire that was heard.

Cleveland police have since called in the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Identification to help with the investigation. The department wants to find answers as to why so many shots were fired and why the pursuit lasted so long.

On Monday, Cleveland police released recordings of radio traffic from the chase, which revealed the communication between dispatchers and police officers that night.

All 13 officers have been placed on desk duty pending the outcome of the investigation.

A funeral for Russell is set for Saturday in Twinsburg.