BRATENAHL, Ohio — Police in several Northeast Ohio communities are looking for the suspects who pointed a gun at officers from a stolen Kia in the early morning hours of Wednesday.
The incident would involve police officers from three different departments. Bratenahl police received a report that a black Kia Forte was stolen in front of Cleveland Division of Police officers near the area of Superior Avenue and East 105th Street. In the report, a male passenger of the Forte is said to have also pointed a firearm at a Cleveland officer. The passenger was described as wearing a white hoodie and a blue surgical mask.
Officers from the Euclid Police Department attempted to stop the Forte, but the vehicle sped away. It would go to East 152nd Street, move west on St. Clair Avenue, then move north on Eddy Road towards I-90.
Two Bratenahl police units stationed themselves on the Eddy Road entrance to I-90 at approximately 3 a.m. The Kia Forte turned to go westbound on I-90 and officers observed that the front passenger had the same description as what was provided by Cleveland police.
Bratenahl police say the passenger then appeared to point a suspected firearm at officers as the car made its turn onto the freeway.
The two Bratenahl police cars followed the Forte onto I-90 as it moved west. Officers asked dispatch for assistance from Metroparks, Cleveland police, Lakewood police, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol. Police stayed in pursuit until it lost sight of the Forte in the area of West 78th Street and Detroit Avenue at approximately 3:12 a.m.
The early morning incident comes on the heels of last week's shooting of a Cleveland police detective, which also involved a suspected stolen Kia. On March 14, a pair of detectives were investigating vehicle thefts and came upon what they believed was a stolen Kia near the area of East 30th and Cedar Avenue.
Four suspects fled the Kia and ran from the scene. The detectives chased them. One of the suspects dropped a weapon, which was picked up by one of the officers and put into their vehicle. As the detective got out of the car, a suspect wearing a bright, orange jacked fired four shots, hitting the detective twice. He was wounded in the arm and leg. All four suspects remain at large.
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