CLEVELAND — No criminal charges for a veteran Cleveland police officer who did not call in a pursuit.
Last February, 39-year-old Michael Yearout slammed into a semi and died.
News 5 Investigators uncovered the pursuit and deadly crash in city records.
“Me and him were really close,” Michael Yearout’s mother, Connie Yearout, said.
Connie surrounds herself with memories of her son, Michael.
"You go through the months and birthdays and everything and just forever going but he’s forever in my heart,” Connie said.
Soon, it will be Christmas without Michael.
“And I know he’s with God, he’s in a better place than this place where if you make a u-turn you get killed,” Connie said.
Michael Yearout died on Feb. 19 when he ran a red light and crashed into the undercarriage of a semi at W. 117th Street and Bellaire Road in Linndale.
Surveillance video shows the officer pulling out from a daycare parking lot and getting behind Michael with lights on after Michael started to turn left, where it is restricted at certain times, but then didn’t turn.
Michael Yearout's family wants answers six months after crash.
"If they would have just taken his license and sent him a ticket,” Connie said.
Michael’s friend, Paul Yeagle, spoke with News 5 Investigators about what he witnessed while driving behind Yearout that morning.
Witness questions police pursuit.
“If I had not been following him, they would not have known,” Yeagle said.
Earlier this year, News 5 Investigators uncovered an internal city memo showing that the officer never called in the pursuit.
CDP internal affairs investigating pursuit.
Ten months after the crash, police told News 5 Investigators that the city and Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Offices had criminally cleared the case.
The Division will now look into whether a policy was violated.
“Oh wow, I didn’t know that no they’ve been cleared, criminally, oh,” Connie said.
The officer has been with the Cleveland Division of Police since 2007. Police say the case will be reviewed at different levels within the Division.
If violations are believed to have been found, a hearing is set.
“I want to know what’s going to happen with this cop. In my heart and my mind, you're the reason why my son’s where he’s at,” Michael’s father, Greg Yearout, Sr., said.
Greg wants the officer fired.
In August, Greg said he filed a complaint with the Office of Professional Standards after sharing his story at a community meeting.
The Community Police Commission wanted input about Cleveland Police pursuit policies.
CPC reviewing pursuit policy.
“Why is he still working? How many times has he done this to another family how would he like this to be done to him with his daughter, with his son,” Greg Yearout, Sr. said.
This Christmas, they said their grandchildren will be their distraction from the pain.
Michael left behind six kids.
“My other children make me strong and my 13 grandkids, I hold on to what I got,” Connie said.
