CLEVELAND — The Surgeon General has now declared gun violence a public health crisis in America. 

He is calling for preventive measures similar to past campaigns against smoking and traffic safety. 

The question now is how to fight this crisis, and Cleveland is hoping a new Crime Gun Intelligence Center, modeled after one in Cincinnati, will help. 

United States Attorney General Merrick Garland was in Cleveland on Tuesday to announce a new crime gun intelligence center, also known as a CGIC. Garland said CGICs are centralized law enforcement hubs that will help to investigate and prevent gun violence by bringing law enforcement officers and prosecutors together at every level, providing access to firearms tracing technology.

“Through enhanced collaboration and advanced technology, CGIC’s help investigators generate leads to get shooters off the streets and dismantle the trafficking networks that supply violent criminals with their guns,” Garland said.

Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Cleveland native, Stephen Dettelbach, said the CGICs have the ability to take a particular piece of evidence to help solve gun violence crimes.

“… a shell casing, a fingerprint, a LPR reading, a traffic light camera, a ring camera, and to take that piece of evidence and turn it to actionable intelligence in realtime,” Dettelbach said.

Garland said the CGIC’s across the country are already supporting law enforcement investigations, like the one in Columbus, that helped locate a shell casing from a crime scene in only 2 days, compared to taking 40-60 days before the center.  

“No one in this country should have to live in fear of gun violence, no family and community should have to grieve the loss of their loved ones to senseless violence, that is why we are here today. The Northeast Ohio Crime Gun Intelligence Center will help us leverage our partnerships and technological innovation to solve gun crimes and save lives,” Garland said.

But Garland also pointed to obstacles like a new proposal to cut the justice department’s budget by almost $1 billion. 

“This effort to defund the justice department and its essential law enforcement functions will make our fight against violent crime all the more difficult. It is unacceptable,” Garland said.

Garland said he thinks the decision by the Surgeon General to declare gun violence as a public health crisis will help draw public attention to the matter. 

“This CGIC does not represent the culmination of the justice department’s efforts to stop gun violence in this region, it marks a new chapter,” Garland said.

Posted: Jun 25, 2024 / 09:08 AM EDT

Updated: Jun 25, 2024 / 09:28 AM EDT

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WJW) — Over 60 murals are beautifying the city of Cleveland thanks to the mission and work of Graffiti HeArt. Fox 8’s Kenny Crumpton gives us a preview of this year’s Graffiti Street Heart Tour which includes six stops and over 16 murals. ‘Changing the world one mural at a time’ is the group’s mission. For information about the tour click here.

MEDINA COUNTY, Ohio (WOIO) – A Cleveland Police officer and a former Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) officer are under investigation after police reports say they unlawfully detained a man they called “illegal” in a Medina County bar.

According to a Brunswick Police report, Brunswick Police were on the scene first on April 26 around 11:50 p.m.

The two officers were at Buzzards Roost in Hinckley Township drinking when they got into an argument with the victim.

“I’m not gonna be the guy on the news like, oh you’re on a f****ing security cam this guy ends up blowing the f***ing mall up tomorrow f**k no, don’t care,” one of the involved officers said in a Brunswick police body camera video. “Don’t care who I offend dude.”

Body-camera footage shows the one officer pinning the victim to the ground when Brunswick Police arrived on scene.

“This guy’s not from this country,” the Cleveland police officer told the responding officer. “So we started fighting with him or whatever so here we are he’s holding him down.”

“Well regardless of if he’s from this country or not what happened?” the Brunswick officer asked.

“He’s not from this country,” the CPD officer responded.

Brunswick Police say the two officers detained a man they claim was in the country illegally.

The victim was a 38-year-old from Texas who had a valid Texas ID.

The victim told police the officers took his phone and ID and again pleaded with them about his citizenship.

“They’re drunk and this guy came up to them and started saying some stuff and they’re like oh this guys a terrorist we can’t let him go,” one of the responding officers told another Brunswick officer.

“That’s what I mean,” another Brunswick officer responded. “Does that sound sane to you?”

The Cleveland police officer who participated in the incident was also on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) taskforce at the time.

“Why they pushing me like this?” the Texas man said to police. “Why they try to break my hand? I’m trying to call police all my stuff they take it out from my pocket.”

The 38-year-old man told officers that he was a truck driver who was making a delivery at Aldi, which is right across from the bar. The Texas man said he didn’t have to make the delivery until Monday so he stopped at the bar for a beer.

Police also questioned the bartender.

“They were really being aggressive with him,” the bartender told police. “They really were. When he was sitting here they were trying to snatch his phone. They were turning his arm.”

The man told police he was a refugee from Ethiopia who had been in the United States for 14 years. Officers said he had a valid commercial driver’s license.

“Essentially these guys were over here drunk trying to detain somebody for no reason,” an officer said to another officer.

Cleveland Police Chief Dorothy Todd sent out a release Friday saying the incident was under investigation.

The Cleveland officer is no longer affiliated with the ATF.

The second officer involved in the incident is currently a “special deputy” with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, according to state records.

19 News has reached out to Lake County Sheriff to see if the officer is also under investigation. We have not yet heard back.

19 News also reached out to the DEA, who said the second officer is no longer a part of their agency.

According to a Hinckley Police report, the Medina County Prosecutor’s Office is considering felony abduction charges for both officers. 19 News reached out to the prosecutor’s office but has not heard back yet.

According to Cleveland Police, the FBI is also investigating.

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