Authorities in Cleveland warned Sunday they would not tolerate violent protests over the acquittal of a white policeman in the fatal shooting of two African Americans, after dozens of people were arrested. Small, mainly peaceful protests erupted Saturday in the midwestern US city and dragged on into the night after 31-year-old patrolman Michael Brelo was found not guilty on two counts of voluntary manslaughter in the 2012 killing.
The verdict came amid widespread tensions in the United States over police treatment of blacks following the deaths of a number of unarmed African Americans at the hands of law enforcement.
Officials in Cleveland are looking to prevent the kind of violent unrest that plagued Baltimore last month after the death of a 25-year-old African American man from injuries suffered in police custody.
City police chief Calvin Williams said 71 people were arrested, as multiple demonstrators broke away from the protests and in some cases assaulted bystanders.
"We only moved in to make arrests when things got violent and protesters refused to disperse," Williams told reporters.
"We wanted to make sure that people understand we're going to help you in this process, but if things turn violent, as we stated in the beginning, we will take action to preserve safety in the city."
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