Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson shuffled the city’s top safety brass Monday, naming a new chief of police, deputy chief, safety director and district commander, reports the Plain Dealer. Martin Flask will step aside as the city's safety director and Chief of Police Michael McGrath will be promoted to replace him. Calvin Williams, currently the department's deputy chief of field operations, was named the new chief of police.
The announcement comes as the department faces probes by a Cuyahoga County Grand Jury into the November 2012 chase that left Timothy Russell and Melissa Williams dead. The jury, which started issuing subpoenas in November, will decide if any criminal charges should be brought against the 13 officers who collectively fired 137 shots at Russell and Williams, who were unarmed, after a long car chase. The U.S. Department of Justice is also investigating the department to determine if police officers have routinely used excessive force.