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Police shoot-kill man attacking bounty hunters www.privateofficer.com
The 29-year-old Cleveland man, who police did not identify, was taken to Huron Hospital and pronounced dead at 5:20 p.m.
The officer who shot him, 24-year-old Aaron Petitt, was treated for what police described as a stab wound and released from MetroHealth Medical Center.
Police policy requires that the officer, with the department for two years, be placed on temporary leave while the shooting is investigated.
The shooting happened about 4:15 p.m. in the 12800 block of Signet Avenue.
Police got a call about a man being chased by men with guns, said Sgt. Keith Campbell, a police spokesman.
At least three officers, including Petitt, arrived and found that the armed men were bounty hunters trying to capture a man wanted on a warrant.
The man had entered a home and barricaded himself in a room. Petitt and a bounty hunter tried to use a board to force open the door.
Police said the man forced the board out from between the door and the jam. The board hit Petitt, who also was stabbed in the foot, police said.
Two other officers also were injured during the struggle, Campbell said.
The officers were taken to MetroHealth, too. Their names and conditions were not available. But Campbell said their injuries were not life-threatening.
The department’s Use of Non-Deadly Force Investigation Team is reviewing the shooting. The team includes the officers in charge of the homicide and internal affairs units along with at least one investigator working for the Cuyahoga County coroner.
Their findings will be presented to City Prosecutor Victor Perez. City policy gives Perez 90 days to decide whether the officer’s actions were justified.
Cuyahoga County security to merge with Sheriff’s Office www.privateofficer.com
More than 150 Cuyahoga County security officers could be merged with the Sheriff’s Office by April 1.
The 157 employees of the Protective Services division now work in the county’s Central Services department. The employees and their $9 million budget would be absorbed by the sheriff.
The armed officers provide security at all county buildings except the Justice Center and courthouses. Sheriff Bob Reid and Jay Ross, who heads Central Services, are working with the county’s Human Resources Department and the unions to finalize plans.
Merger discussions began after Interim Sheriff Frank Bova replaced Gerald McFaul as sheriff in April.
Reid and Ross said they do not believe jobs will be lost. Each said it makes sense for the sheriff to oversee security at county properties.
Ross said the merger would probably have occurred in 2011 anyway when county government is restructured. He said it was efficient to do it now.
Central Services duties includes maintaining county buildings and vehicles and the mailing and printing services for county agencies. The security officers are often referred to as “brown shirts” because of their uniforms. They do not have arrest powers but can detain people.
The security officers fit better under the sheriff, Reid said.
“It brings more of a law enforcement legitimacy to the branch. They do a good job. This makes a lot of sense for both organizations,” the sheriff said.
Reid said security officers potentially could replace deputies who work the information desk at the Justice Center. Those deputies could then be assigned to other sheriff’s units.
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Police arrest 3 for murder of security officer www.privateofficer.com
Police arrest 3 for murder of security officer http://www.privateofficer.com
Boyd was shot in the head about 10 p.m. Nov. 29, when he was working as a security guard at an apartment building in the 5100 block of Hector Avenue
Police released a photograph of the car and asked for help to find it. The green 1981 Oldsmobile Cutlass had temporary license tag Q 884 108.
Two of the boys are at the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Detention Center today. A 16-year-old South High School student is charged with aggravated murder and aggravated robbery. He has no criminal history here.
A 15-year-old Margaret Spellacy- East Clark student was arrested Tuesday on an aggravated murder warrant issued Friday. His criminal history includes unauthorized use of a car, drug trafficking, domestic violence and criminal damaging.
The third person is not yet in custody.
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Cleveland man charged with a dozen bank robberies www.privateofficer.com
Cleveland man charged with a dozen bank robberies http://www.privateofficer.com
Gibson faces 12 charges of federal bank robbery. Each carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
He’s also accused of robbing
• PNC Bank in Erie, Pa., Oct. 27• Key Bank in Akron
Agents said he entered the bank branches with notes demanding money.
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Housing authority security officer carjacked www.privateofficer.com
Housing authority security officer carjacked http://www.privateofficer.com
The suspects approached the off-duty security guard, a 39-year-old Northfield woman who was visiting a relative on Central Avenue, as she was removing items from the trunk of her Ford Contour.
Police say one of the suspects brandished a silver semi-automatic handgun and ordered the victim to give up her keys, which she did.
The suspects then took the vehicle and robbed The Game Stop on 2015 West 25th Street at gun point at approximately 5:09 p.m. Police say the suspects took money and merchandise.
The stolen Contour was seen minutes later by Cleveland police in the area of West 44th Street and Lorain Avenue. They attempted to evade officers until they ran into another vehicle.
The suspects got out of the vehicle and a short foot pursuit followed.
Police say both suspects were apprehended at approximately 5:19 p.m. They have refused to talk to police and their identities are not known at this time.
The stolen Contour, the stolen firearm — which was in the trunk — and the stolen property from The Game Stop were recovered.
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Security officer killed during carjacking www.privateofficer.com
Security officer killed during carjacking http://www.privateofficer.com
Four shot, unarmed security officer caught in melee www.privateofficer.com
Four shot, unarmed security officer caught in melee http://www.privateofficer.com
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Police dispatched numerous patrol officers to a report of people shot and by the time officers arrived on the scene, four were wounded by gunfire.
Cleveland police responded to a call from a security officer that dozens of people were involved in an argument Wednesday morning, four people had been shot and there was a huge disturbance.
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Security officer shoots would-be KFC robber www.privateofficer.com
Security officer shoots would-be KFC robber http://www.privateofficer.com
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Police have arrested three suspects after two people were shot during an attempted robbery at a KFC restaurant on the 6200 block of Broadway Avenue.
A woman, who police say was a customer and one of the three male suspects suffered non-life threatening injuries, Cleveland Police spokesman Thomas Stacho said.
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Teenager found guilty of killing friend www.privateofficer.com
Teenager found guilty of killing friend http://www.privateofficer.com
Prosecutors said Ismael killed Gabriel Feliciano, 17, to prevent him from testifying in a string of burglaries they committed together.
Ismael will be back in court at 11 a.m. Thursday, when Gabriel’s family will speak to the judge. He will be sentenced Oct. 22.
Gabriel’s body was found in a sewer pipe near the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo after police were told that Ismael had bragged about shooting Gabriel. He was shot in the head and neck in September 2007 when Ismael was 16.
Gabriel’s girlfriend testified during Ismael’s trial that word had gotten out that Gabriel — also known as Gordo — was going to “snitch” on Ismael about the thefts.
Gabriel had been missing for more than a week when Ismael was arrested. On Oct. 3, 2007, he led police to the Brookside Reservation, where they found blood and pocket change at the top of a hill and the body in the sewer drain at the bottom of the hill.
The teens had both been charged in April with stealing cars, cell phones, a digital camera and an iPod from Ismael’s neighbors.
Ismael is also charged in juvenile court with murder and aggravated robbery in the death of 51-year-old Daniel Higgins.
Prosecutors said Ismael and Gabriel were attempting to enter Higgin’s house in the 5800 block of Lawn Avenue in Cleveland on Aug. 17, 2007. As they were opening a window, Higgins confronted them. Ismael pulled out a gun and shot Higgins through the eye, prosecutor’s spokesman Ryan Miday said.
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Church pastor guilty of $300,000 theft from church www.privateofficer.com
Church pastor guilty of $300,000 theft from church http://www.privateofficer.com
He will be sentenced Oct. 30 for identity theft, money laundering and deception. The maximum sentence would be 27 1/2 years in prison. About 20 lesser charges were dropped.
Assistant Cuyahoga County Prosecutor James Gutierrez said Robinson stole the money over the course of a year, in addition to collecting his salary of $200,000 for 18 months.
Gutierrez has 20 binders that track what Robinson did with the money — he went to casinos and fine restaurants and bought fancy rims for his car, jewelry, clothes, manicures and cable television service.
The case tore the church apart, Gutierrez said, ostracizing the stewards who reported the missing money to police and splitting the congregation in half.
Prosecutors will ask that Robinson pay $211,000 in restitution.
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Cleveland OH police lieutenant sent to prison over payroll thefts www.privateofficer.com
Cleveland OH police lieutenant sent to prison for payroll thefts http://www.privateofficer.com
Eddie Jackson, 54, a 23-year-veteran, was fired in June after a Cuyahoga County jury found him guilty of theft in office and eight counts of tampering with records between November 2005 and June 2006.
Common Pleas Judge Peter Corrigan gave Jackson four years on each count but ran them all concurrently.
Corrigan told Jackson that he had an important job of investigating complaints against police officers. The judge then admonished Jackson for violating the public’s trust and stealing nearly $7,500 from the Police Department.
“You felt like the rules didn’t apply to you and implied some sort of conspiracy,” Corrigan said. “You didn’t do what you were supposed to do.”
Jackson declined to address the court when given the chance. Jackson’s lawyer asked that his client be freed while the conviction is appealed, but Corrigan denied the request.
Jackson’s theft came to the attention of the department’s Office of Internal Affairs when he refused to investigate rumors that others in his office were cooking the duty reports and getting paid more than they deserved.
The Overtime Review Unit investigated Jackson, comparing time stamps on video footage of Jackson arriving and leaving the office to the hours he claimed to have been at work.
The investigation concluded that on 102 of the 128 days in question, Jackson filled out his timesheets vaguely and inaccurately and was paid about $7,000 more than he earned.
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Cleveland school security connect to police dispatch www.privateofficer.com
Cleveland school security connect to police dispatch http://www.privateofficer.com
Prior to Monday, security dispatchers had to use a phone to let police know about emergencies in schools. Now, security dispatchers can monitor police radio traffic as well as speak directly to the police dispatchers. The city recently installed communication equipment that links both departments.
Cleveland officials say that officers do respond to a lot of different types of emergencies throughout the school system and having two way radio capibility will assit in faster response and better communication between school dispatchers and police dispatchers. Officers in zone cars can listen and respond immediately to a school. The arrangement eliminates the delay from a call taker gathering information and entering it into the computer before a dispatcher can broadcast it, said Lt. Thomas Stacho.
Safety Director Martin Flask ordered the city to coordinate dispatch efforts between the police and the schools after the shooting last October at Success Tech Academy.
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Police arrest 2 for shooting, killing man in wheelchair www.privateofficer.com
Police arrest 2 for shooting, killing man in wheelchair http://www.privateofficer.com
Police Lt. Thomas Stacho said Nathan Johnson, 26, turned himself in at a police station and gave authorities information that led investigators to Eric Carson, 27, who surrendered at his home. Both men live in the same neighborhood as shooting victim Daniel Lewis.
They had not been formally charged.
Johnson drove a Ford Contour from which Carson fired a gunshot around 6 p.m. Friday, police said. Stacho said Carson was aiming for a rival drug dealer, but the shot bounced off the hood of another car and hit Lewis.
Lewis’ son, Charles, said his father was hit in the chest. Lewis, a retired Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority supervisor, died at a hospital about an hour after the shooting.
“It’s a tragedy, a man minding his own business. He’s sitting outside enjoying the weather and two fools come by, and as a result he’s dead,” said Mayor Frank Jackson, who went to the Lewis home after the shooting. “It’s senseless. … The people responsible will pay for their dumb act.”
Family members said Lewis had a stroke two years ago and had returned to his home in September. He’s lived there since 1974.
Charles Lewis said family had been urging his father to go outside to get some fresh air.
“We finally got him outside to get some air,” Charles Lewis said. “He should have stayed inside and stayed stuffy.”
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Cleveland police encourage officers not to work private security www.privateofficer.com
Cleveland police encourage officers not to work for private security companies http://www.privateofficer.co
Plain Dealer
Steve Loomis, president of the Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association, said the union opposes the practice for many of the same reasons it opposed the city hiring security guards at the airport and the same reasons sanitation workers opposed private crews cleaning downtown streets.
“It’s privatizing our jobs,” Loomis said. “This is an intolerable and unsafe situation which must be stopped immediately.”
City officials said using off-duty officers offers residents an added layer of protection.
Officers performed off-duty work last summer on city properties, but more officers have been recruited this year, Loomis said. Now, they patrol portions of Kinsman Road, Broadview and Pearl roads and Lorain and Detroit avenues, he said.
But the officers usually work alone and don’t have their police radios. Loomis said that puts their lives in danger.
More than 600 police officers have worked part-time jobs at 1,033 locations. But Safety Director Martin Flask said he is not aware of any private firms patrolling city streets.
Several city councilmen said that off-duty officers work in business and commercial districts and at pools, parks and other places where large groups of people, especially children, gather.
Flask said that off-duty officers don’t have the same ability to communicate as on-duty officers but that officers have been working for community groups for more than a decade.
“They provide a level of security and concern that the city cannot provide,” he said.
Loomis offered another reason last week for officers to avoid the part-time work. The union lost a grievance for an officer who was working part time at an apartment complex when he shot and killed a teenager. The teen was a theft suspect, and he had tried to run over the officer.
The city refused to represent the officer in a civil suit, although prosecutors ruled the shooting was justified. City officials said the officer was working a secondary job on private property, not for the city, when the incident occurred.
“We expect to be sued sometimes,” Loomis said, “but we don’t expect the city to wash their hands of us.”
Several council members spend thousands of dollars from community development corporations to pay the private security companies, which in turn pay the off-duty police officers.
Councilman Zack Reed said it’s better to have police officers in private-security cars than security guards patrolling business districts. He said he will continue to use the security companies as long as they hire police officers.
Councilman Brian Cummins said that he supports the police union but that residents have safety concerns.
He said $25,000 from a social-service fund would be spent on private security in Brooklyn Centre and Old Brooklyn neighborhoods this summer.
Police work is not being privatized when off-duty officers work at recreation centers and commercial districts, Councilman Jay Westbrook said.
Residents are safer and businesses remain in the city when they see police in public areas, he said.
“Mr. Loomis is out of touch with the public,” Westbrook said
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Cleveland security guards paid to watch porn www.privateofficer.com
Cleveland security guards paid to watch porn http://www.privateofficer.com
Cleveland Oh May 16 2008
They were paid to keep an eye on the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, but an internal audit of the district’s computers indicates at least half a dozen employees spent their time watching hardcore porn instead.
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