An attorney for Michael Cleveland, the 66-year-old Black man paralyzed after being shot by Columbus police after a traffic stop earlier this month, is asking Mayor Andrew Ginther and other city officials to respond by Monday to a list demanding four policy reforms.
Attorney Sean Walton with the Columbus Police Accountability Project stated there are still "inhumane" policies within the police department, in a statement distributed Tuesday.
At the top of the list of demands, Walton called for an immediate end to a city policy banning people that have been shot by police from having visitors while in the hospital. "This practice is inhumane, should be considered a form of cruel and unusual punishment, and has no place in the systemic structure of a city that has just completed a Department of Justice to review of its practices to avoid violations of human rights such as this," Walton stated in the letter to Ginther.
Walton is calling on the city to keep police officers off the streets after a police-involved shooting until the case is fully resolved. That comes after news that the officer who shot Cleveland, who has been identified as Joshua Ohlinger, also shot a 17-year-old months before, and was back on the job three months later, before the conclusion of that investigation. "In this political and social climate, and given the statements and commitments made by city leadership top to bottom, it is reckless to allow an officer who is being investigated for using deadly force, to be allowed to again use deadly force without a full investigation and decision by a grand jury having been completed," Walton's letter stated.
Walton is also calling on police to end their new gang enforcement program to avoid causing "immense trauma" to the community. "This decision not only impedes the people of this city’s ability to heal, but it further causes fear and terror in communities that deserve better," the letter stated.
Walton wants the city to expand the scope of a U.S. Department of Justice review, to include an investigation into the department's use of force, specifically against Black people in the city. The letter also calls for a closer look into how just 6% of police officers are responsible for half of all use of force reports.
In response to Walton's letter, Ginther's office stated the city is making progress on police policy changes, but did not respond to the specific demands Walton listed.
"We continue to build a culture of trust and implement the change and reforms our community deserves. We are committed to full transparency and holding officers accountable," according to a statement.
Ginther's office stated it is asking the U.S. Department of Justice for an independent examination of three areas: evaluating use-of-force policies, auditing the department's technology infrastructure and fortifying community-policing training practices.
