CLEVELAND — It’s now been six months, and we still have no answers about why Cleveland police chased a man who ended up dying in a horrific crash.
News 5 Investigators uncovered a memo from earlier this year showing that the pursuit was never called in by the officer.
The case is under internal administrative and criminal review.
As Michael Yearout’s family waits for answers, the Cleveland Community Police Commission is looking to revise the Division’s pursuit policy.
Family seeks answers
Most days, you can find Michael’s mother in her front yard at a memorial she created for her son.
“Just trying to make it every day,” said Michael’s father, Gregory Yearout Sr.
The loss of her son is too difficult for her to speak publicly. Both she and Michael’s father still have many unanswered questions.
“It’s just sad, you know, just sad and the way they did it is terrible. Don’t call it in, don't do nothing, but he dies,” Gregory said.
What happened
Michael died on February 19 when he ran a red light and crashed his car into the undercarriage of a semi at West 117th and Bellaire in Linndale.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol confirmed that Cleveland pursued Michael at some point.
Surveillance video shows the officer get behind Michael with lights on after Michael started to turn left, where it’s prohibited, but corrected himself.
Michael’s friend witnessed the start of it.
“If I had not been following him they would not have known,” Paul Yeagle said.
Witness questions Cleveland pursuit.
Reform?
The city’s law director notified the federal monitoring team.
A community conversation about Cleveland's pursuit policy is scheduled for 6-8 p.m. tonight at the Collinwood Recreation Center.
“That case that you just gave is the perfect scenario the exact reason why we are holding this event today,” Cleveland Community Police Commission Co-Chair Sharena Zayed said.
“We need to know how this affects you on the ground, what is your neighborhood like after and before this happens,” Zayed said.
Zayed's cousin was Tamia Chappman.
Chappman was 13 when she was killed in East Cleveland during a Cleveland police pursuit in December 2019.
“We need to look at incidents like that and learn from them and see what we can do. How can we use the policy to prevent things like this from happening in the future so there won’t be so many questions,” Zayed said.
The current pursuit policy was revised in 2015. The CPC has a working draft with input from the former commission and inspector general.
Zayed believes it could help improve overall accountability.
“They looked at the criteria for initiating pursuits, you know, enhanced risk assessments when engaging in pursuits,” Zayed said.
Losing faith
For the Yearouts, they’ve gone six months without answers or even a simple phone call from police, says Gregory.
He has lost faith in the system.
“I just wish nothing like this ever happens to one of their kids because they’d be wanting answers to questions like I do,” Gregory said.
The CPC is looking for people to take a survey about police pursuit policy.
They should have a draft done and a commission vote by the end of September or early October.
The CPC says it would then go to the Division for it to be operationalized and become the new general order.
As for the Yearout case, police say each one has its own timeline.
