Ohio police chief under fire for apparent ‘racist, antisemitic’ messages

CLEVELAND — An Ohio police chief is under fire for allegedly sending messages that are so offensive they can’t be shown on TV.

East Cleveland Police Chief Brian Gerhard is facing mounting pressure to resign after the revelation of text messages and memes containing apparent racist, antisemitic, and homophobic content, according to our news partners at WOIO.

The messages were sent and received by Gerhard dating back to 2019.

The offensive material includes memes featuring Adolf Hitler and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., with inappropriate captions.

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Attorney Kimberly Coral, who represents several East Cleveland police officers in unrelated cases, provided 19 News with screenshots of the messages.

She expressed concern about Gerhard’s ability to serve in a community with a predominantly minority population.

“I mean it calls into question every single investigation he’s been a part of,” Coral said.

The Mayor’s office confirmed they are investigating the police chief.

Gerhard admitted to sending the messages but downplayed their significance, claiming they were “tongue and cheek” and readily available online.

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