Brian Branch sentenced for shooting at Cleveland officers, injuring five
Brian Branch pleaded guilty to shooting at police during a chase in Cleveland on 23 May, injuring five officers. Sentencing is scheduled for Wednesday.
Cleveland man faces sentencing after shooting at officers, injuring five during pursuit
Brian Branch, the man who opened fire on Cleveland police officers during a shooting and car chase on 23 May, is due to be sentenced Wednesday, cleveland19.com reports. Branch entered a guilty plea on Monday.
The incident began at approximately 2:15 p.m., when officers responded to reports of a 33-year-old man suffering gunshot wounds in the 5200 block of Fleet Avenue. While investigating, officers received a description of a suspect vehicle and moved to intercept it.
As officers approached the vehicle in their cruiser, Branch fired at them. He then fled the scene, but the Real Time Crime Center helped track his vehicle to the area of Track Road and Martin Avenue, according to Cleveland Police Chief Dorothy A. Todd.
During the pursuit, Branch shot at officers a second time, striking a cruiser's windshield multiple times. A police K-9 was inside the vehicle at the time but was not injured. Body camera footage captured the officer instructing the dog to move to the back of the cruiser while driving. The officer returned fire, but Branch was not hit.
The chase ended near the 15600 block of Chagrin Boulevard, where Branch crashed into another vehicle and a building. He fled on foot but was taken into custody shortly after. Cleveland Police Sgt. Wilfredo Diaz confirmed a weapon was recovered from Branch's car.
Two separate crashes involving police cruisers occurred during the pursuit. One cruiser struck a tree, while a second, responding to assist, was involved in an additional crash near East 75th Street and Kinsman Road. Three officers sustained injuries in those crashes and were reported in stable condition.
Among the injured, a 29-year-old officer suffered facial injuries from glass and shrapnel, and a 27-year-old officer was treated for elbow scrapes. All five injured officers were treated and released.
Chief Todd confirmed that the original shooting victim — a 33-year-old man — was shot twice. No motive for that shooting has been released.
Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)