CLEVELAND — Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas Judge Brendan Sheehan has appointed a special prosecutor to investigate and prosecute cases relating to the May 30, 2020 protest that happened in Cleveland following the death of George Floyd.
Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael C. O'Malley made the request, and it was approved on Feb. 25. Geauga County Prosecutor James R. Flaiz was appointed as special prosecutor.
According to motion filed by O'Malley, "the court, under its inherent power, may appoint a special prosecutor whenever it comes to the court's attention that the ability to administer justice in a fair and impartial manner could be called into question. Such a case exists when there is conflict or an appearance of conflict of interest between parties. Where a special prosecutor has been appointed under the court's inherent power, that special prosecutor acts independently of the duly elected prosecutor."
Millions of dollars' worth of damage was caused to Downtown Cleveland buildings on May 30 when a peaceful protest turned violent. In total, an estimated $6.3 million in damage was caused, according to numbers released by Downtown Cleveland Alliance.
Since that day, multiple individuals have been charged for crimes in connection with the riot.
In December 2020, city officials released a 50-page report detailing what wrong in their response to the event. CLICK HERE to read the full report.
RELATED: Cleveland releases after-action report for May 30 protest that details police missteps
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