East Cleveland police officer working off-duty security carjacked in police car
CLEVELAND OH December 17 2018— It was a brazen act of violence in Cleveland.
A man carjacked an off-duty East Cleveland police officer, who was working security, of his police car at gunpoint. It happened Friday night at East 75th Street and Canton Avenue in Cleveland.
The officer and gunman exchanged gun fire before the suspect sped off in the police car and later ditched it. The carjacker is still on the loose.
“You’ve got to figure, if you target a police officer, there’s a really good chance that they’re going to shoot back at you,” said community activist Zack Reed.
Reed said daring crimes against police officers also spells trouble for residents.
“When people believe that it’s alright, that they feel comfortable shooting at police officers… Then we don’t stand a chance in our neighborhoods,” Reed said.
There was another frightening incident targeting Cleveland police officers at about 2 a.m. Saturday.
Officers were on patrol at East 93rd Street and Benham Avenue when shots were fired at police. One suspect arrested, others on the loose.
Reed said gun violence is on the rise in general in the city.
“We’ve gone seven consecutive years with more than 100 homicides; 117 people have been killed in the city of Cleveland this year. Those criminals, those thugs, those hoodlums have now become comfortable with the violence they seed on our community,” Reed said.
No officers were injured in either incident.
