CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Division of Police announced an arrest in its investigation into the "street takeovers" that took place in several parts of the city during the night of Sept. 28 and themorning of Sept. 29 in a press conference Tuesday.
Cleveland Police Chief Annie Todd announced that officers arrested a 25-year-old man specifically for his role in the street takeover of Lee and Miles on Sept. 29. The suspect was charged with the following:
- Failure to comply
- Tampering with evidence
- Aggravated riot
- Disruption public services
- Possession of criminal tools
In addition to the arrest, police impounded a vehicle suspected to be the one seen in videos circling around a patrol car during the takeover.
The briefing announcing the arrest came just over two weeks after the city endured a night of "street takeovers" that impacted multiple locations as suspects stopped traffic, pointed guns at people, lit fireworks and attempted to start fires.
A few days after the takeovers, Todd told Cleveland City Council's Safety Committee that officials received an email from Cincinnati on Sept. 28 that revealed social media posts from groups coordinating the takeovers. She said the posts contained charged language including, "we will not run from a cop. If you can't stand your ground, this isn't your meetup."
In response to that warning, Todd says police launched a helicopter to get eyes on the streets Saturday night, they notified all five police districts, and reached out to Ohio State Highway Patrol asking for help in monitoring roadways.
Todd says the first report of activity came from East 55th and Woodland at around 11:30 p.m., and then more and more street takeovers started popping up, dividing police resources. The final takeover area was reported on I-90 west at West 14th around 4 a.m. on Sept. 29.
"There was (sic) about 20 vehicles on the freeway that were blocking all lanes of traffic, shooting off fireworks, attempting to light fires on the freeway and pointing firearms at citizens who were confronting them," according to Todd.
Based on the location, the chief said there "was no exit ramp between where we could enter and where we could get to that group," adding they needed to make sure "we had a safe plan to get the officers up there and to get the citizens free from that area."
Todd went on to tell councilmembers that police have identified multiple persons of interest connected to the takeovers, but drivers removed car license plates before the activity, which is creating increased challenges in tracking suspects down.
In response to the street takeovers, the Cleveland Division of Police created a "Street Takeover Task Force." Officials say Tuesday's arrest resulted from the creation of the task force and their actions, along with tips from the public.
If you have any information, call the Task Force Tip Line at (216) 623-5474 or email police@clevelandohio.gov.
Previous Reporting:
- Cleveland City Council introduces legislation to 'toughen street racing laws' following rash of street takeovers
- 'There's an urgency to locate suspects': Surveillance video, photos released from Cleveland 'street takeover'
- Cleveland City Council holds hearing following weekend of 'street takeovers'
- WATCH | Cleveland police investigate overnight 'street takeovers': Suspects accused of stopping traffic, setting fires and pointing guns