CLEVELAND — Neighbors in Cleveland’s Old Brooklyn neighborhood are looking for answers after a hit-skip resulted in a damaged patrol car and a heavy police presence just outside of people's homes.
It happened in the 4400 block of Behrwald Avenue around 6:30 p.m.
Police couldn’t confirm to News 5 at the time what exactly happened, but when we spoke to neighbors, they told us it was unusual.
“What we had once for many years was a quiet neighborhood,” said Fred Hodges.
Tuesday, Cleveland Police provided an update to say that an unknown vehicle struck a CPD Canine Unit vehicle, drove into a house and then fled the scene. No one was injured in the crashes. No pursuit was involved, and the driver and vehicle have not been located.
Fred Hodges has lived off West 45th Street and Berhwald Road in Cleveland’s Old Brooklyn neighborhood for 16 years.
He said the silence he's used to on his street has been broken after coming out of his home Monday evening to see a damaged sheriff’s county truck, along with a dozen SWAT team members and police officers, just steps from his door.
“We don’t like to see those kinds of things. It’s troubling,” said Hodges.
In the last three weeks, Hodges said his neighborhood has seen several events that are uncommon for the street, from Monday night’s situation to a 10-year-old being shot in the 5100 block of Gifford Avenue that News 5 reported on just last month.
“It’s unsettling,” said Hodges.
Despite the circumstances, Hodges said he feels safe and is hopeful things will soon return back to normal.
“You wonder what's going to happen next. Hopefully, this will be all we’re going to see for a while,” said Hodges.
Neighbors encourage the community to attend their safety meetings.
The first one is at the Second District Policing Committee’s Meeting on Tuesday, March 12, at 6:00 p.m. at Bridge CLE, 3389 Fulton Road.
Then Hodges welcomes people to come to their Old Brooklyn Safety Meeting at St James Church next Monday at 7 p.m.
