CLEVELAND — Cleveland's top cop announced there is now a task force investigating last weekend’s mayhem during takeovers on city streets and Interstate 90.
City council held a hearing today on the chaos during the safety committee meeting.
Police Chief Annie Todd briefed committee members on the takeovers and the police response. The dangerous takeovers last Saturday into Sunday went on for more than five hours. The finale was the one on Interstate 90 with a masked mob attacking a party bus.
Party bus driver shares frightening ordeal on I-90.
Todd says officers staged at Progressive Field to talk strategy.
“Once our officers entered the freeway, if there was another group waiting we would have been trapped,” Todd said.
Dispatchers could see what was happening from cameras looking at the freeway.
“Law requires that we can’t box somebody in, so you can’t prevent an out for somebody,” Todd said.
Todd says OSHP was on the opposite side, and as they talked through what to do, OSHP informed police the group had left.
According to Todd, the whole thing on the interstate lasted twenty minutes.
“Many of the citizens of this city are pissed. Many people in this city started calling,” Council President Blaine Griffin said.
Chief Todd told city council they got wind of a Cleveland takeover social media post via email from Cincinnati late Saturday evening.
“It says we will not run from a cop if you can’t stand your ground this isn’t your meet,” Todd said.
They weren’t just hitting one spot at a time but multiple neighborhoods on different sides of the city.
Police officers were hit with airsoft gun bb’s, including a University Circle police sergeant at East 105th Street and MLK Jr. Drive.
An off-duty Parma police officer was assaulted by five men near W. 25th and Lorain.
He needed three stitches, according to a police report.
“This is unacceptable, people are angry, people want to see accountability,” Griffin said.
Todd says they created a task force with its sole job of investigating the takeovers. They’re looking back at the video to identify the drivers before they removed their license plates.
Her goal is to hold responsible drivers and those watching and recording.
“We’ve identified many persons of interest. We have to look at this case now as a bigger picture,” Todd said.
"Aggravated riot. Is that being explored?” Safety Committee Chair Mike Polensek asked.
“Yes absolutely 100% that is what we’re looking at because it fits the definition of the crime,” Todd said.
Days before the citywide takeover, News 5 Investigators showed how shopping centers and intersections have become targets for burnouts since the beginning of summer.
Exclusive one on one with Chief Annie Todd.
News 5 asked Chief Todd if she felt as if she lost control of the streets.
“Do I feel as if I lost control, no. If you’re seeing what you’re seeing, it’s happening nationwide. Our response is no different from any other law enforcement agency. It's about investigation and making sure of maintaining the safety of the community officers and those participants because we still have the duty to protect the people violating crimes,” Todd said.
Arrest warrants are out for two adults and a teen from a previous takeover in Ohio City, where a fire was started at the intersection of West 25th Street and Lorain Avenue.
The task force is also now investigating a double shooting possibly connected to the takeovers on Sept. 29.
According to Cleveland police, they got a call around 3:30 a.m. for a man who was shot on Broadway. While officers were there, they learned of a second victim, a 20-year-old man who was also shot.
If you have information on this shooting case, call Det. Hannon at 216-623-5218.
During the safety meeting, council members also grilled Chief Todd and Safety Director Wayne Drummond about the Division's drones.
Drummond says the Division has been working on a draft policy. Then they'll make sure officers are trained. Once that is done, Drummond says they'll have a pilot program ready.
But, the drone policy still has to go to the Community Police Commission for approval, then the federal monitors with the judge overseeing the consent decree having the final say.
Chief Todd says they're going to move forward sooner than later with the drone pilot program.
