Cleveland Police Brutality Lawyer

Police brutality is a human rights violation that can lead to severe injuries or death. It disproportionately affects minorities and other vulnerable groups. If you or a loved one were a victim of police brutality, contact Police Brutality Center. We can connect you with Cleveland police brutality lawyers who will seek to hold authorities responsible for their crimes.

Cleveland, Ohio, has a history of racial profiling and police brutality. In March 2023, more than a third of the East Cleveland, Ohio, police department was under indictment after prosecutors charged 11 former and current members with civil rights violations and public corruption. African Americans and other minorities are especially likely to be victims of police violence.

Police brutality is a civil rights violation that can cause traumatizing injuries, post-traumatic stress disorder, and even death. If you or a loved one have been a victim of police misconduct, contact Police Brutality Center. We will match you with experienced Cleveland police brutality lawyers who can hold law enforcement responsible for their crimes. If the lawsuit is successful, you can recover financial compensation for your losses from the police brutality incident.

Police Misconduct Laws in Cleveland

Ohio and federal laws protect people against police misconduct. One notable protection is 42 U.S.C. § 1983, a federal statute allowing people to sue the police and other local government officials for violating one’s constitutional rights. Examples of police brutality and misconduct that violate the U.S. Constitution include:

Wrongful death caused by police brutality and excessive force
Wrongful conviction and malicious prosecution
False arrest
Coercing confessions
Evidence tampering
Denial of medical care for inmates and detained people
Illegal search and seizures

Note, however, that Section 1983 only applies to violations of federally protected rights and cannot be used to launch lawsuits for state law violations. Police brutality victims who did not experience violations of federally protected rights may be eligible to pursue false arrest and wrongful death claims under Ohio law. Talk to a Cleveland police misconduct lawyer at Police Brutality Center to learn more about your legal options.

Cleveland Police Department History

The Cleveland Police Department has long been known for excessive force and civil rights violations.

Notably, during the Civil Rights era, the police often clashed with Cleveland’s Black community. The Hough Uprising occurred in the summer of 1966 after years of discrimination against Black residents. It led to days of looting, vandalism, gun violence, and arson. Four Black residents were killed—including two by police. Around 30 people were injured, and 275 were arrested.

The Hough Uprising was far from the only police brutality incident in Cleveland. A close look at documents written by task forces, commissions, and other police committees from 1922 to 2022 has shown recurring Cleveland police misconduct, including excessive use of force, biased police actions, and oppression of many Brown and Black civilians.

Unsurprisingly, more than a third of officers in the East Cleveland Police Department were charged in March 2023 with civil rights and abuse charges. Prosecutors cited 31 separate incidents from 2018 to 2022, claiming police treatment of residents was similar to torture.

This toxic culture may be affecting officers’ decisions to stay with the Cleveland police force. As of 2023, the Cleveland police department has lost nearly 390 officers over the past two years and currently struggles to hire replacements.

Cases of Police Brutality in Cleveland

There have been several cases of Cleveland police misconduct and brutality, including the following examples.

One of the first notable cases of Cleveland police brutality was the Glennville Shootout, an hour-long gunfight that happened July 23, 1968, between three white police officers, three Black nationalists, and one Black civilian.

This event arose when Fred “Ahmed” Evans, leader of the Black Nationalists of New Libya, began amassing weapons to defend himself and the Black community. In the summer of 1968, tensions between Evans and the Cleveland Police Department heightened, ending in a violent confrontation.

According to police, Evans orchestrated the shootout, but Evans and other witnesses said that police violence and aggression had instigated the incident. The police department’s version of events swayed mainstream media and white residents. Consequently, blame for the destruction and bloodshed was placed on Evans while police aggression, racism, and violence were ignored.

In November 2014, a 12-year-old African American boy, Tamir Rice, was shot to death by a white Cleveland police officer. Rice was carrying a replica toy gun when police received a dispatch call about him. The caller claimed that a male was pointing a gun at random people in a public park. The caller also said that the gun was "probably fake" and that the male was "probably a juvenile," but the dispatcher did not relay these statements to the police officer who shot and killed Rice.

To seek justice and compensation for Rice's wrongful death, his family filed a lawsuit against the city of Cleveland, and the city reached a six-million-dollar settlement with Rice's family.

In 2020, off-duty Cleveland police officer Jose Garcia shot and killed Desmond Franklin, a 22-year-old African American. Garcia shot into Franklin's car as he drove beside him in his vehicle. Garcia was not driving a police car or in uniform. He claimed that he saw Franklin and another individual steal soda from a truck and that Franklin threatened to shoot him.

Although this case went to trial, the grand jury declined to bring charges against Garcia for voluntary manslaughter, murder, aggravated assault, and felonious assault. Franklin's family attorney, Stanley Jackson, said he was disappointed in the jury's decision but will continue pursuing the case, potentially in civil court.

Cleveland Police Brutality Lawyers

Cleveland is home to several notable police brutality and civil rights lawyers, including the following:

Subodh Chandra: A former federal prosecutor, large-firm litigator, and law director for the City of Cleveland, Subodh Chandra is the founding and managing partner of The Chandra Law Firm LLC. He focuses on high-profile civil rights litigation, including police brutality cases. Some of the results he has achieved for clients include:

A $6,000,000 settlement with co-counsel for the Tamir Rice case
Nearly $100,000 in total settlements for 2016 Republican National Convention protestors who endured malicious prosecution and First Amendment retaliation by Cleveland police
Multiple six- and seven-figure settlements and jury verdicts in civil rights, employment discrimination, and retaliation cases

Robert Greshem: Attorney Robert Greshem is an experienced Ohio lawyer specializing in police brutality claims, wrongful death, civil rights litigation, and more. He was one of the youngest members to serve as a commissioner on the Ohio Supreme Court Board of Commissioners on Grievances and Discipline. He speaks extensively and frequently on Miranda Rights issues and community-police interactions throughout Ohio.

If you are a victim of police misconduct or brutality, Police Brutality Center may be able to assist you in getting legal help by connecting you with a skilled police brutality lawyer.

Why Work With a Police Brutality Lawyer?

Although it’s technically possible to file a police brutality lawsuit alone, you should work with a Cleveland police misconduct lawyer to ensure you get maximum compensation. Here are some ways an experienced Cleveland police brutality attorney can help:

Legal expertise: A trusted attorney will have in-depth knowledge of federal, state, and local laws and regulations about police brutality and misconduct. They will ensure you file paperwork correctly, have a strong case, and meet all deadlines.
Investigation: Your attorney also will investigate and gather evidence to support your case. This process may involve obtaining video footage, police reports, expert witness and eyewitness testimonies, and medical records.
Negotiation: Skilled lawyers can use their negotiation skills to convince the opposing party to settle without going to trial. They will build a strong argument to secure maximum compensation, including economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages are objectively verifiable losses, such as medical bills, therapy costs, and lost wages. Non-economic damages are subjective losses, such as pain and suffering and loss of quality of life.
Trial representation: If a settlement is impossible, your lawyer can represent you in court. They will use their courtroom skills to present your case, question witnesses, and use evidence to support your claims.

Filing a Civil Rights Claim in Cleveland

Victims of civil rights violations in Cleveland can file a claim with the Cuyahoga County Human Rights Commission. The Commission was established in 2018 to ensure equal treatment and opportunity for all county residents. It hears and decides on discrimination complaints through a neutral process, giving complainants and respondents the chance to present testimony and evidence at an administrative hearing.

The Commission aims to be more fair and comprehensive than the traditional legal process, which often takes longer to reach a resolution. Additionally, by giving each side a chance to settle the case through mediation, the Commission can provide more solutions than the traditional legal process.

You have two options for filing a complaint with the Cuyahoga County Human Rights Commission:

Fill out, print, and notarize your complaint form and bring it to the Cuyahoga County Administration Building, Department of Law, 7th Floor, 2079 East Ninth Street, Cleveland, OH 44115.

Mail your notarized complaint form to the address above.

Talk to a Cleveland civil rights lawyer to learn more about filing civil rights claims.

Police Reform in Cleveland

In light of Cleveland’s history of racial profiling and police brutality, the Cleveland Police Department has implemented significant initiatives to reform internal corruption.

In 2014, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and the Justice Department critically reviewed the Cleveland Police Department’s use-of-force practices and policies and called for sweeping reforms. Six Justice Department attorneys and several independent policing experts performed the investigation and discovered that systemic racial biases had long haunted Cleveland’s police department. The problems included inadequate training, insufficient accountability, ineffective policies, and poor community engagement.

In 2015, U.S. District Judge Solomon Oliver approved an agreement between the City of Cleveland and the United States Department of Justice to create changes within the Cleveland Division of Police. This agreement did the following:

It created the Community Police Commission consisting of 10 representatives from across the Cleveland community, and one representative each from the Fraternal Order of Police, the Black Shield, and the Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association. The Community Police Commission provides community input to strengthen relationships between Cleveland communities and police officers.
It designed a Mental Health Response Advisory Committee to provide support, feedback, and technical assistance to the Cleveland Division of Police regarding crisis intervention cases.
It reformed use-of-force policies, including requirements for employing de-escalation techniques whenever appropriate and possible.

The Police Brutality Center Can Help Individuals and Families Affected by Civil Rights Violations

Police brutality in Cleveland is a civil rights violation that can harm communities and change families forever. If you were injured or have had a family member killed because of a civil rights violation, contact Police Brutality Center. We have in-depth resources to help you protect your community and your loved one’s civil rights and can determine your eligibility for suing a police department. Fill in this form to learn more about how we can help you.