Cleveland Protests As Cop Cleared Over Deaths

Violence has flared in Cleveland after a police officer was found not guilty over the shooting deaths of an unarmed black man and a woman after a high-speed car chase in 2012.

Police in the Ohio city said on Twitter they had been called to deal with a large crowd which was claimed to have fired pepper spray at people at random.

Officers had also made a series of arrests including at a restaurant where someone had thrown an object through a window, injuring a customer inside.

The authorities had braced themselves for trouble after the officer was cleared, which saw a small crowd of demonstrators gather outside the Cleveland courthouse, chanting "No justice, no peace".

Michael Brelo, 31, had been accused of voluntary manslaughter and aggravated assault over the deaths of Malissa Williams and Timothy Russell in Cleveland, Ohio.

Judge John O'Donnell said that the officer acted reasonably when he shot the two suspects while standing on the bonnet of their car and firing several rounds through the windscreen.

Mr Brelo was one of 13 Cleveland police officers who fired a total of 137 rounds at the car during the incident.

Five other police supervisors have been indicted on misdemeanour dereliction of duty charges over the deaths and are due to go on trial in July.

Experts said Mr Brelo acted reasonably in the belief that the suspects were shooting at him and other officers.

The case follows a series of high-profile deaths of unarmed black men in confrontations with white police officers in various states across America.

Some of the shootings and related court cases have prompted violent demonstrations.

Judge O'Donnell said: "Brelo was acting in conditions difficult for even experienced officers to imagine.

"He was in a strange place at night surrounded by gunfire, sirens and flashing bulbs.

"Brelo did not fire too quickly or at a person who was clearly unarmed or unable to run him over. He did not fire at somebody running away."