CLEVELAND — Two recent police chases that started in Parma and resulted in fatal crashes in Cleveland is causing alarm among city leaders.
On Monday, three members of Cleveland City Council announced that they are calling for a meeting between councilmembers, Cleveland Safety Director Karrie Howard, and leaders in Parma and other suburban communities. The purpose would be to discuss the interjurisdictional chase policy and steps that could be taken to ensure the safety of residents in both cities.
“We know that we cannot dictate police’s discretion to pursue suspects to a neighboring city,” Councilman Kris Harsh said in a statement on Monday, “But these repeated incidents have raised many questions about pursuit policy.”
Harsh was joined by fellow Cleveland City Councilmembers Rebecca Maurer and Mike Polensek in the request for a meeting.
Last Thursday, Parma police officers chased a black Ford Fusion, driven by 30-year-old Columbus native Kenneth James Lemons, that was speeding eastbound on Brookpark Road near West 33rd Street at almost 100 miles per hour.
Parma police leaders say officers followed the car at "quite a distance behind" before discovering Lemons had crashed head-on into a silver Chevrolet Traverse on Pearl Road around Woburn Avenue in Cleveland's old Brooklyn neighborhood. Councilmembers noted that the crash happened "a few hundred feet" from an elementary school. Lemons was killed in the crash, while the driver of the Traverse was injured.
More recently, two people were killed and two others were injured as the result of a police chase that led to a crash on State Route 176 in Cleveland on Saturday evening. Cleveland police confirmed to 3News that officers from the Parma Police Department were pursuing a vehicle with three people in it when the chase continued into Cleveland on SR-176 north.
"These incidents have reasonably raised questions among Cleveland residents about the risks they are being put at by the actions of a neighboring police department," the councilmembers wrote in their release.
Harsh, Maurer, and Polensek note that the underlying issue in these police chases is the spike in stolen vehicles across the area, as well as the nation. Fueled by the nationwide problem of Kia and Hyundai break-ins, Cleveland has seen a staggering 98% increase in the number of car thefts in 2023.
The Cleveland Division of Police's chase policy was put into place as part of the Consent Decree with the U.S. Department of Justice in 2015. It states that officers may initiate a vehicle pursuit when all of the following criteria are met:
- The suspect operating the vehicle refuses to stop at the officer’s direction and flees apprehension for an actual or alleged violent felony, or if the suspect is operating the vehicle while intoxicated (OVI).
- The immediate danger of the pursuit is less than the immediate or potential danger to the public if the suspect remains at large.
- The officer is operating an authorized emergency vehicle.
You can read the Cleveland Division of Police's complete vehicle pursuit policy below.
"It goes without saying we support the police attempting to apprehend the perpetrators of criminal activity. We want to make sure it’s coordinated with other police departments," added Polensek, who is also the chair of the the council's Safety Committee. “This only reinforces the need to have Cleveland police helicopters available on demand so pursuits are limited.”
On Tuesday, Parma Safety Director Bob Coury released the following statement in response to the city of Cleveland:
"The Parma Police Department pursuits on Aug. 24 and Aug. 26 were necessary for protection of the public and necessitated by the extremely unsafe actions of the suspects. Both pursuits were consistent with the letter and spirit of the Parma Police Department’s pursuit policy. In both cases, the suspects’ deaths, while terrible tragedies, were caused by the actions of the reckless drivers. In no case was it the result of the initial police pursuits, one of which had been terminated altogether.
"Now, a few Cleveland city councilpersons have reached out to our administration requesting us to talk with their safety director regarding inter-jurisdictional police pursuits. We welcome such a policy discussion with the City of Cleveland administration – one that is based on facts, data and best practices. Such a discussion can only serve to enhance policy and our working relationship."
Previous Reporting:
- 2 killed after police chase leads to multi-vehicle crash in Cleveland; 2 others injured
- Parma police pursuit ends with crash in Cleveland; suspect dies, innocent bystander in 2nd car injured
- Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, police leaders announce increased wages and bonuses for cadets during 'Public Safety Summit' amid ongoing crime concerns
- Ohio State Highway Patrol: 52 arrests made during 2-day 'surge initiative' operation in Cleveland neighborhood