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Cleveland police seek man they say
broadcast killing on Facebook
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 [April 17, 2017]
(Reuters) - Cleveland police urged a
suspect who they said posted video of himself on Facebook killing an
elderly man on Sunday to turn himself in to authorities.
Officials in the Ohio city said they were looking for Steve Stephens in
connection with the one confirmed killing but had found no evidence to
support what police said was a claim he made in the video of having
killed more than a dozen other people.
"Everybody is out there looking for Steve," Calvin Williams, the
Cleveland police chief, told a news conference, where he joined Mayor
Frank Jackson in asking Stephens to turn himself in. They said Stephens
might be driving a white or cream-colored Ford Fusion, and that he was
armed and dangerous.
"We want this to end with as much peace as we can bring to this right
now," Williams said, adding police knew of no other victims.
Late Sunday night Cleveland police issued a aggravated murder warrant
for Stephens, and warned that he could have crossed state lines into
Pennsylvania, New York, Indiana or Michigan.
Police said Stephens used Facebook <FB.O> to post video of him killing
the man, who police identified as 74-year-old Robert Godwin Sr. Stephens
is not believed to have known Godwin, police said.
The world's largest online social network, used by more than 1.2 billion
people every day, condemned the accused killer's action.
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A man who identified himself as Stevie Steve in a video he broadcast
of himself on Facebook. Stevie Steve/Social Media
"This is a horrific crime and we do not allow this kind of content
on Facebook," said a spokesperson for the company. "We work hard to
keep a safe environment on Facebook, and are in touch with law
enforcement in emergencies when there are direct threats to physical
safety."
It is not the first time a serious crime has been posted on
Facebook. In January, four black people in Chicago were accused of
attacking an 18-year-old disabled white man and broadcasting the
assault on the service while making anti-white racial taunts.
A month later, the suspects pleaded not guilty to assaulting the
man.
(Editing by Chris Michaud and Michael Perry)
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