CLEVELAND — In response to a News 5 investigation last week that raised questions about three University Circle police officers’ use of force on a mentally ill woman last May, Cleveland City Councilman Kevin Conwell (Ward 9) pulled from consideration on Monday a piece of legislation that would have authorized the creation of a special tax district designed to generate additional funding for UCPD.
As News 5 Investigator Jonathan Walsh reported last week, Latoya Wilson, 36, filed a federal lawsuit against University Circle police in connection with a May 2022 incident with three UCPD officers at Lake View Cemetery. Wilson, who said she was suffering from hallucinations stemming from her diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder, suffered a broken arm after she was forcibly taken into custody at the cemetery.
Cemetery staff asked for police assistance after Wilson remained at the cemetery after it had closed on May 7, 2022. University Circle police body camera video showed Wilson chanting and praying out loud while holding flowers and carrying what was later determined to be a sheathed ceremonial dagger.
Three officers eventually responded to the cemetery. Roughly 78 seconds into one of the officers’ body camera videos, another officer can be heard saying, “this is going to take a while… she’s committing a crime. We could just go hands-on and just do a whole use of force thing.”
A few minutes later, an officer located at the rear entrance of the cemetery appears to suspect that Wilson may be suffering from some sort of mental health issue.
“She definitely got some, I think, mental issues for sure,” the officer said.
According to personnel records, the officers involved in the incident had all received de-escalation training and mental health response.
As the responding officers try to escort her through the cemetery and to the exit, one of the officers begins to converse with Wilson in what appeared to be an antagonistic fashion. As Wilson makes her way toward the rear exit, she suddenly turns to go in a different direction. Wilson later told News 5 that she thought “something was telling her to follow the trail.”
According to the body camera video, Wilson’s turn prompted the officers to go "hands-on" with her. The tussle eventually led to the officers forcibly taking her into custody. In the process of doing so, however, Wilson fell hard on her arm, breaking it. Wilson required hospitalization and a metal rod inserted into her arm.
Wilson’s broken arm was apparently obvious to one of the officers, who could be heard saying, “Her arm broke” on at least two occasions during the use of force. Wilson described the pain as excruciating.
In the process of being taken into custody, the body camera video shows Wilson’s small, ceremonial dagger become unsheathed and dislodged from its protective case. The ceremonial dagger pierced the leg of one of the officers, leaving a small hole in the officer’s uniform. It is unclear if the officer was injured.
According to the body camera video, the officer then gets in Wilson’s face.
“What’s that? You [expletive] stabbed me?” the officer said, smiling. “Shut the [expletive up].”
Right after she was taken into custody, the officers took Wilson to the hospital for treatment. The body camera videos showed officers again discussing the incident.
“I mean…if that’s the alternative in that situation, I’d rather take that,” said an officer.
“Yes,” said another officer.
“(She) should have been tased,” said an officer.
“Or shot,” another officer said.
Wilson was eventually charged with two misdemeanors. She pleaded guilty to trespassing and no contest to resisting arrest.
Upon seeing the story, Ward 9 Councilman Kevin Conwell called some council colleagues, including Council President Blaine Griffin, to express interest in pulling a University Circle-related piece of legislation from any further consideration. That legislation, Resolution 632-2023, had been scheduled for a hearing on Monday morning.
Conwell told News 5 in an interview that the incident involving Wilson was extremely troubling and disturbing.
“I cried. When I saw it, I cried,” Conwell said. “This is horrible, so I had the legislation tabled. I talked with the Council president and we tabled the legislation.”
That legislation would have authorized the creation of a special improvement district (SID) that includes a special property tax levy on certain commercial properties within a geographic boundary. As part of the proposal, University Circle Incorporated submitted petitions to Council showing constituent approval.
According to council documents, UCI, the non-profit that coordinates development, events and other administrative duties in and around University Circle, touted the special tax district as a way to generate additional revenue needed to make improvements at the University Circle Police Department. A presentation attached to the resolution said the new tax district, if approved, would boost capacity for mental health crisis intervention; improve social services by employing social workers to co-respond with UCPD on certain emergency calls; add bike patrols and a new centrally-located mini police station; expand officer training beyond the state-mandated curriculum and invest in training in unbiased policing.
Conwell said he will table the legislation until he is convinced that proactive steps are being taken at UCPD.
“That whole culture has to change for me to write legislation moving forward down here at Cleveland City Council. The whole culture needs to change,” Conwell said. “When you see something like that. There are probably other things, other incidents. It’s probably a culture issue that we have to deal with.”
A spokesperson for University Circle Incorporated said the non-profit will continue to respect and cooperate with all legal and legislative processes.
