Sentencing for man who injured 5 Cleveland police officers

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - The man who injured five Cleveland police officers and a K-9 during a shooting and a chase earlier this year, was sentenced Wednesday to 25-27 years in prison.

On Monday, Brian Branch pleaded guilty to:

• Five counts of attempted murder
• One count of felonious assault
• One count of assaulting police dog
• One count of discharge of a firearm on or near prohibited premises
• One count of of failure to comply with the order, signal of a police officer

The incident started around 2:15 p.m. on May 23.

Officers responded to a call of a 33-year-old man suffering from gunshot wounds in the 5200 block of Fleet Ave.

While investigating, officers received a description of the possible suspect vehicle.

Officers spotted the vehicle and when they approached it while in their cruiser, police said the suspect, now identified as Branch, shot at them.

Branch then fled, but with assistance from the Real Time Crime Center, officers tracked his vehicle to the area of Track Road and Martin Avenue, said Cleveland Police Chief Dorothy A. Todd.

While in pursuit, Branch shot again at officers, striking the windshield of a cruiser several times.

A police K-9 was also in the cruiser, but the dog was not hurt. The officer can be heard on body camera telling the K-9 to get in the back of the cruiser while they are driving.

The officer returned fire, but Branch was not struck, said police.

The pursuit ended near the 15600 block of Chagrin Blvd., when Branch crashed into a separate vehicle and a building, said police.

Branch then jumped out of the car and took off on foot, but was quickly taken into custody.

Cleveland Police Sgt. Wilfredo Diaz said a weapon was found in Branch’s car.

During the pursuit, one police cruiser was involved in a crash and struck a tree.

A second police cruiser, attempting to respond for assistance, was involved in an additional crash near East 75th Street and Kinsman Road.

Judge Brendan Sheehan spoke to Branch at the sentencing. He underscored that he could have taken many innocent lives when he was firing a gun into the community.

“Every shot, every shot you fired carried the risk of killing an innocent person. Think about that. You need to understand the magnitude of your decisions. Cleveland streets are not a battleground,” Sheehan said.

He went on to say “The psychological impairment that these officers and the people of our community had to live through is serious. And that’s why this crime is serious,” said Sheehan.

The prosecution said that Branch was using bullets specifically designed to pierce body armor.

Branch offered an apology at the sentencing.

“I’m sorry and I apologize to everybody and their families down the road in a long term. So I hope you can forgive me. That’s what I really want. I want forgiveness. And I’m sorry if I traumatized you in any such way. I pray you never go through this again,” Branch said.

Three officers in all sustained injuries in the car crashes but were reported in stable condition.

A 29-year-old officer sustained facial injuries from glass and shrapnel.

A 27-year-old officer was treated for elbow scrapes from shrapnel.

All five of the officers injured have been treated and released.

Chief Todd said the citizen, a 33-year-old man, was shot twice. No motive on that shooting has been released.