Manhunt underway after veteran Cleveland police officer shot and killed
Cleveland OH Sept 4 2020 A police officer is dead this morning after being killed in the line of duty in Ohio, and a manhunt is underway to find the suspect or suspects who shot him.
“Cleveland lost one of its finest tonight in the line of duty,” police chief Calvin Williams said during a press conference early Friday morning. The officer was a 25+ year veteran, Williams said.
The FBI identified him as Detective James Skernivitz, and in a tweet, said “reward money is available for info leading to arrest & conviction.”
Mayor Frank Jackson also addressed the shooting at the press conference saying, “Personally, I want to give my condolences to the family and on behalf of the City of Cleveland.”
Jeff Follmer, Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association President, told CNN affiliate WOIO, “It’s bad, this a bad one. And they’re all bad—this one hurts.”
The investigation is ongoing and the search for the suspect or suspects continues, the chief said. The shooting occurred in the city’s West Side, in the area of W. 65th Street and Storer Avenue, the police department said in a tweet. The street was shut down, WOIO reported.
The police chief and the mayor are expected to speak later today, according to a tweet from city of Cleveland.
