EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio — Protests occurred Tuesday after community activist Art McKoy, founder of the group Black on Black Crime Inc., claimed he was assaulted by East Cleveland City Council President Twon Billings.
According to McKoy, the incident took place at the Home Depot in Cleveland Heights on Monday. He encountered Billings at the store and police say words were exchanged before, as McKoy alleges, the "conversation" became violent.
"He didn't like the conversation, he threatened me, he poked his fingers in my eyes, I did not touch him, and then he punched me with his fist in my eye," McKoy said in a Facebook Live outside the hospital on the evening of the altercation.
McKoy, an 80-year-old Vietnam War veteran, later shared photos of his bloodied nose and face. A day later, he and allies marched to East Cleveland City Hall to express their outrage over Billings' purported actions.
"For me to get my eye almost knocked out, my nose broke, and my face, it's just unexcusable (sic)," McKoy told 3News.
More than a dozen protestors joined McKoy on Euclid Avenue, calling for Billings' resignation.
"Anyone else would be in jail," Hank Davis said. "(There) ain't no reason why somebody who wasn't even elected (to his seat) in the first place can still hold that position."
"My father's old enough to be his father," McKoy's son Tracy Booker added. "For you to put your hands on somebody that's half your size, half your weight, it's no justification for you to harm an 80-year-old man."
Even some of Billings' colleagues are speaking out against him, including the legislature's No. 2.
"I'm not going to say he's my coworker," Council Vice President Timothy R. Austin said. "He's on Council the same way I am, but I'm working for the people and he's working for something else, and I'm just going to leave it at that."
Billings was originally appointed to the seat held by ex-Council President Nathaniel Martin in late 2022 following the latter's resignation, a move long claimed to be invalid by Mayor Brandon L. King's office due to Billings' prior conviction for aggravated menacing. After Austin defeated then Council President Juanita Gowdy in Ward 2 last November, the chamber elected Billings to replace her in the top chair.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Billings disputed McKoy's version of events, claiming it was McKoy who actually escalated the situation due to an earlier political dispute:
"Council President Twon Billings was approached by an aggressive Art McCoy (sic), the founder of Black on Black Crime, attempting to start a fight about an incident that happened at a Council meeting approximately a mouth (sic) ago. Art McCoy and Black on Black Crime were allotted $128,000 from the ARPA grant funds from the city of East Cleveland. Billings was shopping in Home Depot and Art McCoy (sic) approached Council President Billings aggressively, saying what's up tough guy, you had a lot to say at the council meeting. During that time shoppers in Home Depot asked Art McCoy (sic) to leave Council President Billings alone for which Art McCoy (sic) refused! ... during that time the shoppers asked McCoy to leave Council President Billings alone Art McCoy (sic) told the shoppers to mind their business and continuously attempted to start a fight with Council President Billings. Billings attempted to walk away and Art McCoy (sic) continuously walk(ed) up behind ... Billings and end up slapping his hand which caused the altercation of Council President Billings defending itself (himself) against Art McCoy('s) (sic) assault."
Police are investigating the incident, with Black on Black Crime Inc. calling for Billings to be charged. City Council's Tuesday meeting was also canceled at the last minute.
"For me to get almost knocked, out face beat in in Home Depot in Cleveland Heights, you're darn right I'm surprised."