CLEVELAND — Cleveland City Councilman Blaine Griffin is calling for action Wednesday after a police chase resulted in dozens of cruisers moving at high rates of speed from Shaker Heights through Cleveland along Woodland Avenue.
The chase happened on the heels of the aggravated burglary of a Walgreens on Chagrin Boulevard. A vehicle crashed into the building in the early morning hours. The suspects eventually drove off and led officers on a chase involving a dozen police cars. The incident ended with a crash at Woodland and Buckeye Road.
“We have to seriously consider the possible hazards resulting from these high-speed chases,” said Councilman Griffin in a statement. “It’s sheer luck that no one was seriously hurt or killed. We need the governor and the state’s attorney general to step in and address this issue,” he said.
Griffin wants Attorney General Dave Yost to reinstate Governor Mike DeWine's Advisory Group on law enforcement vehicle pursuit. The group encourages municipalities to create their own guidelines as it pertains to high-speed chases.
Under Cleveland’s current policy, people accused of misdemeanor crimes are not to be chased. Chases are only allowed when police are pursuing suspects involved in violent crimes or drunk driving.
More than 350 people were killed in law enforcement chases between 1982 and 2014, According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Last month, 13-year-old Tamia Chappman was killed while walking home from school in East Cleveland when she was fatally struck by a car in a high speed police chase.