![Demonstrators outside Cleveland's First District precinct speak with Cleveland Division of Police commanders. [Matthew Richmond / ideastream]](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/17554aa/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x1687+0+0/resize/840x472!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F6%2F09%2F3rddistrict_web2.jpg)
The lawyer for Cleveland鈥檚 police union says an incident like the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis would not happen in Cleveland.
During a Tuesday , said the consent decree in Cleveland and the Department of Justice oversight it has brought are preventing police brutality.
鈥淭his is what we鈥檙e talking about right now. This is what鈥檚 ignited the country,鈥� Delguyd said. 鈥淲hat happened with this guy in Minnesota, that won鈥檛 happen in Cleveland, Ohio. Too many checks and balances. Too many good people working. Too many good people supervising.鈥�
Black Lives Matter Cleveland co-founder Kareem Henton, also a speaker at the lunch session, disputed that claim, pointing to the April death of , who was shot and killed by an off-duty Cleveland police officer.
鈥淥fficers murder black and brown people with impunity. They have the unconditional backing of a police union,鈥� Henton said. 鈥淎nd there鈥檚 nothing that the consent decree is really doing that鈥檚 really able to circumvent those areas because of binding arbitration, because of that collective bargaining agreement and because of a complicit and aggressive police culture.鈥�
Black Lives Matter Cleveland recently released a for reforming the police department.
The proposal includes requiring officers to carry liability insurance, requiring the automatic firing of officers with two or more excessive force incidents and calls for defunding of the Cleveland Division of Police.
Henton has said BLM Cleveland will bring its proposals to city council for consideration.
