Justice Department Rules Cleveland Police Guilty of Systemic Abuses, Excessive Force

The Justice Department has discovered that the Cleveland Police Department routinely used unreasonable or excessive force, necessitating the creation of an independent monitor to enact reforms throughout the department.

The discovery was announced by the Justice Department in a press release. The Justice Department says the Cleveland Police Department utilized unnecessary deadly force in the form of shooting or blows to the head of suspects. The Cleveland Police Department was also found to have used force against the mentally ill, or in situations where they were only called to check on someone's well being.

The Justice Department also says that poor training and tactics led to situations escalating when they could have otherwise been defused.

In announcing the decision, Attorney General Eric Holder said, "Accountability and legitimacy are essential for communities to trust their police departments, and for there to be genuine collaboration between police and the citizens they serve."

The independent monitor's primary goals will be reviewing and investigating officers' use of force, adopting and enforcing priorities, supporting and re-training officers, and instituting effective community policing practices.

The announcement by the Justice Department is sure to increase scrutiny of the Cleveland Police Department, which has been the subject of ire nationwide after the killing of 12-year-old Tamir Rice as he played with a toy gun.

Video of the incident showed the police shooting Rice as soon as they parked their car in front of him. The footage suggests that no more than five seconds elapsed between the arrival of the officers and Rice being shot.

Adding to the furor over Rice's death is the fact that the officer who shot him was fired from a small town police department before being hired by the Cleveland force.