Cleveland, OH
Cleveland officer, ex-DEA agent suspected of unlawfully detaining man at bar they call ‘illegal’
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.
Copyright 2024 WOIO. All rights reserved.
Cleveland, OH
Solemnity of All Saints & Celebration of 100 Years with our Mysterious Martyr | November 01, 2025
All are invited and children are encouraged to dress as their…
Cleveland, OH
Timeline: When to expect widespread rain in NE Ohio
CLEVELAND (WJW) – Hurricane made landfall in Jamaica this afternoon as one of the most powerful hurricanes in the Atlantic. It is expected to track through eastern Cuban, into the Bahamas and then out to sea. There will be no direct impacts on the United States.
It will be another quiet and cool evening for us across Northeast Ohio. Skies will be clear, it will be dry and temps in the 40s. You will want the jacket as there will be a little breeze from time to time.

Similar to last night, temps are in the upper 30s, clear and quiet.

Much of Wednesday will be dry with some sunshine in the morning. Temperatures will be a few degrees cooler than average but still an all around pleasant day. Clouds will be on the increase throughout the afternoon. Widespread rain arrives from the south by mid evening and continues Wednesday night.

Steady rain continues all day Thursday for all areas. We could wind up with an inch or two of rain by Friday.



Scattered rain showers will continue with a WNW wind and cooler temps on Friday.

Halloween does not look like a washout. However, a few kiddos may have to dodge a few rain drops Friday evening. Everyone will need a jacket or sweatshirt underneath their Halloween costume. A few other communities may need to move their trick-or-treating to another day. Here’s an early look at trick-or-treating on Halloween:





Daylight saving time ends on Sunday, Nov. 2. Here’s the latest 8 Day Forecast:

Keep up with FOX 8 for the latest weather conditions.
Cleveland, OH
Dr. Kirsten Kunkle performs musical piece in Cleveland, OH – MVSKOKE Media
CLEVELAND – Soprano vocalist Dr. Kirsten Kunkle (Mvskoke) and composer Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate (Chickasaw) are working together once again on a project and performance known as Ko’koomfena, Our Grandmother, held at the Suzanne and Paul Westlake Performing Arts Center in Cleveland from Oct. 16-19.
Kunkle and Tate recently sat down with Live Wire, to discuss the performance which was sponsored by CityMusic Cleveland.
Ko’koomfena is sung in the Shawnee language- a first for Kunkle.
Kunkle, who has sung in Chickasaw and once performed in 6 different languages for the American Indian Symphony (Apache, Cheyenne, Chickasaw, Modoc, Potawatomi, Wichita), pointed out how important this performance is to her and how groundbreaking it is.
“This may be the first time that anyone’s sung classically in Shawnee,” Kunkle said. “I don’t say that lightly. I think that the things that we’re doing, especially the work I’m doing with Jerod, is exceptionally groundbreaking.”
Tate praised Kunkle for the work she has done, especially given how there is no set translation for Indigenous languages via the International Phonetic Alphabet.
“It’s really cool, because she’s kind of leading the way on all of this, and so now, hopefully, people will be calling her for her insights about how she’s doing languages and everything,” Tate said.
When asked about how the performances went in Cleveland, Kunkle stated that all four performances were very well received by audiences, and that she was very grateful for the opportunity.
“The joy of bringing the Shawnee language to audiences in the original homeland of the Shawnee tribe, singing this incredible score by the leading Native symphonic composer Jerod Tate, and having my debut with the amazing CityMusic Cleveland, in my home state, was such a pleasure and true highlight,” Kunkle said.
The learning process for Kunkle was, as always, a collaboration with Indigenous knowledge bearers. “Joel Barnes of the Shawnee Nation was able to give me a very detailed audio file to help me in navigating the language, for which I am very grateful.”
When asked why they create performances like this, Kunkle stated that this has been another chance for her to not only expand her knowledge on Indigenous languages, but also to keep showing off the languages and cultures of various tribes to a wider audience. For Kunkle and Tate, performances like this also give Tribes more attention and work to keep their stories alive.
“Jerod and I both are extremely driven to retain and advance Native culture, and bridging the gap between language and classical music is one of the most important parts of our legacy as musicians,” Kunkle said.
“Hopefully, the story of Ko’koom’feena will extend far beyond these performances, and Jerod’s music will continue to reach new audiences while expanding upon the cultural heritage of the Shawnee people. I am honored to be a part of this important musical and cultural storytelling.”
For more information on Tate and Kunkle’s performance, visit https://www.clevelandart.org/events/citymusic-cleveland-chamber-orchestra
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