HINCKLEY, Ohio — 3News Investigates has learned that two deputized federal agents are under investigation after being accused of illegally detaining a man at a Medina County bar.
The agents held the truck driver because they believed — without any apparent evidence — that he was in the U.S. illegally.
The incident happened at the Buzzard's Roost Sports Bar in Hinckley Township back in April.
According to body camera video, the two federal agents identified themselves as agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), who were off duty and drinking at the bar.
Witnesses say the pair detained the trucker, who was at the bar minding his own business, when the agents detained him, 'Rambo-style."
However, 3News has learned that they are actually members of task forces for the DEA and ATF, and not special agents. One is a Cleveland Police officer, who is a deputized ATF agent, while the other is a narcotics officer with the Lake County Narcotics Agency, and is a deputized DEA agent, serving on the DEA's Cleveland Strikeforce task force.
Officers from the neighboring Brunswick Police Department responded to the bar for a disturbance, but when they arrived, they found the man on the ground being held by the two agents. The man identified himself as a truck driver from Texas and an Ethiopian immigrant.
Brunswick officers ran the truck driver's identification, which came back with no issues. The trucker told police that he's been in America for 14 years and is a U.S. citizen. The driver added that he was just having a drink when the federal agents approached him and accused him of being in the country illegally.
"These guys have all been drinking, and they're like, 'Oh, this guy's on some terrorist watch list' or something like that," Brunswick police Sgt. Joseph Ceccaci is heard saying to a fellow officer on police body camera video.
"And the guy's {trucker's] got a valid CDL (Commercial Driver's License) all through Texas, and they [the agents] didn't want to let him go, so they put his hands behind his back, dragged him out of here, and held him on the ground." Sgt. Ceccaci added. He also questioned the agents' claim that they checked the trucker's identification with a law enforcement database.
"These guys are drunk," declared Sgt. Ceccaci.
A copy of the video was first posted on YouTube last week and has generated more than 85,000 views. You can watch body camera video from Brunswick police below.
3News is not identifying the agents involved at this point because they have yet to be charged.
Medina County Prosecutor Forrest Thompson tells 3News Investigates that the case is under review for potential charges including unlawful restraint, abduction, and disorderly conduct involving intoxication and alarm. However, he says his office is deferring to federal authorities to take any potential action first. We are also awaiting word from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Cleveland on whether any charges have been filed.
Both officers have since been removed from their federal duties.
Other law enforcement agencies are reacting to this story.
Cleveland Division of Police Chief Annie Todd issued the following divisional notice to all officers on June 21:
"I was recently made aware of an incident that occurred in Hinkley (sic) Township involving a member of our Division. After a review of the initial incident report, the member was placed on restricted duty and removed from all public contact.
"Yesterday, I was forwarded the body camera footage from our partner agencies and I am disheartened by the actions and statements made by the officer. The actions depicted do not represent who we are as a Division, our policies, or our training.
"This matter is still under investigation by the Medina County Prosecutor's Office and the FBI, and our Internal Affairs Unit is working with them and monitoring the investigation.
"As a reminder for all members, especially those assigned to Task Force Operations, the Division of Police is committed to providing constitutional, bias-free policing. When working with our federal, state, and local partners, my expectation is that dedication to the Division's mission, policies, and training will never waiver. Members are expected to always perform their duties in compliance with the law, our policies and with respect to all those we encounter."
3News later spoke to Todd about the matter on Tuesday, and also got more insight into the officers' job histories.
The ATF sent the following statement to 3News:
"ATF takes all allegations of misconduct seriously. One of the police officers involved in the incident was an ATF Task Officer, but he is not currently serving in that capacity. As the incident remains under investigation, we have no further comment."
Director Pat Hengst of the Lake County Narcotics Agency also sent a statement to 3News:
"The Lake County Narcotics Agency (LCNA) is aware of an incident that occurred at a Hinckley Township bar on April 26, 2024 involving an LCNA employee. The employee has been removed from his duties as a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) task force officer and has been placed on restricted duty with LCNA pending the results of a thorough investigation. We take all complaints seriously and expect professional conduct from all employees. Due to the fact that this matter is currently being investigated by federal authorities, we are unable to comment further at this time."
A DEA spokesperson sent this response to 3News:
"The actions of those depicted in this video, who identify themselves as federal agents, do not reflect the values or high standards of DEA. This situation, which involved a local Task Force Officer, remains under investigation. The individual involved in this matter has been returned to his local police department and is no longer a Task Force Officer with DEA."
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