Cleveland man charged with attempted murder after shooting injures 5 police officers
Brian Branch, 24, faces 21 charges after shooting at officers and fleeing, injuring five cops in the ensuing crashes. He is due in court on 12 June.
Grand jury indicts Cleveland suspect on 21 counts after officer shootings
A Cuyahoga County Grand Jury has indicted Brian Branch, 24, on 21 charges — including attempted murder — following a shooting and vehicle pursuit on 23 May that left five Cleveland police officers injured, cleveland19.com reports.
Branch is being held at Cuyahoga County Jail and is scheduled for arraignment on 12 June.
The sequence of events began at approximately 2:15 p.m. on 23 May, when officers responded to a report of a 33-year-old man with gunshot wounds in the 5200 block of Fleet Ave. While investigating, officers obtained a description of a suspect vehicle.
When officers approached the vehicle in their cruiser, Branch allegedly opened fire on them. He then fled the scene.
With support from the Real Time Crime Center, officers tracked Branch's vehicle to the area of Track Road and Martin Avenue, Cleveland Police Chief Dorothy A. Todd said. During the pursuit, Branch allegedly fired again, striking the windshield of a police cruiser multiple times.
A police K-9 was inside that cruiser but was not harmed. Body camera footage captured the officer directing the dog to move to the rear of the vehicle while still driving. The officer returned fire; Branch was not struck.
The pursuit ended near the 15600 block of Chagrin Blvd., where Branch crashed into another vehicle and a building. He then fled on foot but was taken into custody shortly afterwards. Cleveland Police Sgt. Wilfredo Diaz confirmed a weapon was recovered from Branch's car.
Two additional crashes occurred during the chase. One cruiser struck a tree, and a second, responding to assist, was involved in a separate collision near East 75th Street and Kinsman Road. Three officers sustained injuries in those crashes and were reported in stable condition.
A 29-year-old officer suffered facial injuries from glass and shrapnel; a 27-year-old officer was treated for elbow abrasions from shrapnel. All five injured officers have since been treated and released, though Chief Todd confirmed none have returned to duty. Their names are not being released as they are considered victims.
Chief Todd said the officers acted within pursuit policy and that the investigation remains ongoing. The 33-year-old shooting victim from Fleet Ave. was struck twice; no motive for that shooting has been disclosed.
Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)