Man shot by Cleveland police took Willowick police on chase last year

CLEVELAND - The man shot and killed by Cleveland police officers took police on another chase last year.

On Thursday, 43-year-old Timothy Russell led Cleveland officers on a nearly-25-minute chase through downtown and into East Cleveland. Police cars cornered his car behind Heritage Middle School, where officers fired 137 shots, killing Russell and his passenger.

On Dec. 3, 2011, Russell, of Maple Heights, sped off during a routine traffic stop in Willowick, police said. Video of the chase begins at the Burger King on Vine Street near Lakeshore Boulevard, and goes on for almost nine minutes.

Russell wasn’t arrested on failure to comply and traffic violations until March. He pleaded not guilty and court records said the charges were dismissed.

Court documents from Summit County going back to 1996 contain a long list of charges against Russell. While listed as a Twinsburg resident he was charged with multiple counts of theft, receiving stolen property, child endangering, domestic violence and drug-related charges.

The shooting that killed Russell and 30-year-old Malissa Williams is under investigation by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, with help from the East Cleveland Police Department and the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office. The Cleveland Division of Police is also looking into whether officers followed proper policy.