CLEVELAND – Cuyahoga County Sheriff Bob Reid and East Cleveland Police Chief Ralph Spotts held a brief news conference Monday afternoon on the high-speed chase turned deadly shooting on Thursday.
The Ohio Attorney General’s Office Bureau of Criminal Investigation will be lead on the investigation, Reid said. East Cleveland police and the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department will also assign investigators to the case.
The chase began when an officer said he heard a shot coming from a car near the Justice Center on St. Clair Avenue. It lasted about 25 minutes and ended in the parking lot behind Heritage Middle School in East Cleveland, where a man and woman were shot dead.
“We all met this morning to discuss how to proceed,” Reid said. He added that they would not be answering questions at this time because it is so early in the investigation. They will, however, provide frequent updates to the media, Reid said.
The names of the officers involved will be released, along with tapes from the shooting.
On Friday, Spotts said there was not a gun inside the suspects’ car and no shell casing were found at the Justice Center, which raised even more questions. On Monday, officers searched along the Shoreway for evidence.
Those killed were identified as 42-year-old Timothy Russell and 30-year-old Malissa Williams. Their families spoke to the media, where Russell’s sister called him a man of faith and that he didn’t own a gun.
