CLEVELAND — Members of the community gathered at the Cleveland Police Department’s Second District Precinct Saturday to protest and demand answers after Desmond Franklin, 22, a father of four children, was shot and killed by an off-duty police officer in April.
Gallery: Protesters rally for father of 4 killed by off-duty officer in Cleveland
Hundreds of people gathering outside the precinct held signs asking for justice and answers from Cleveland police. Protesters took a knee and a moment of silence to remember the life of Franklin.
On April 9, Jose Garcia, an off-duty police officer, opened fire on a maroon sedan in the middle of the day, near West 25th Street and Pearl Road.
Franklin, 22, was killed, and a 17-year-old who was also inside the car was injured by broken glass. Desmond’s father and his lawyer want to know what led up to the shooting.
“It rips me apart,” Emmanuel Franklin said. “This young man lost his life driving down the street.”
Cleveland police say Garcia is on restricted duty as the internal investigation continues.
“You can’t jog down the street, you can’t sleep in your home, and now in Cleveland, you can’t drive down the street in your own neighborhood,” Emmanuel Franklin said.
RELATED: Family wants answers after father of 4 was shot, killed by off-duty Cleveland police officer
News 5's Mark Ackerman contributed to this report.
