Uncle of shooting victim disputes official account

CLEVELAND - The uncle of a 15-year-old boy who was shot and killed by police September first says that the official account of what happened could not be true.

Willie Chappell said yesterday that his nephew, Brandon McCloud, was not a threat inside of the Cleveland house where the boy was staying.

Cleveland police said detectives Phillip Habeeb and John Kraynik were serving a warrant to search the house for evidence that Brandon, a convicted armed robber, had robbed another man at knifepoint. The detectives said Brandon attacked them.

But Chappell said he studied the evidence and concluded Brandon was on his knees when the detectives stormed in shot Brandon ten times. All the evidence and statements collected by police and the Cuyahoga County coroner are now with Cleveland Prosecutor Anthony Jordan.

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