Shots Fired Outside Cleveland Police Union Hall During Baby Shower
UPDATE: This story is not so much about who is responsible for the shooting so much as it is about the slow response to public records requests by the city. The update is that as soon as I showed up with cameras and told them that I was gonna be back everyday until the request was filled, Gary got his records he requested.
The report indicates that an ID and cellphone was found at the scene, but no arrests have been made as of yet. The report does to say who they belong to either. That being said it could have been anyone as much as it could be cops.***
This is a story of a family attempting to have a nice day at their baby shower at the Cleveland police union hall. Cleveland.com reports: (This report is from June 27 2016)
“A family rented the union hall for a women-only baby shower, police said. The woman who rented the hall, a 40-year-old Cleveland woman, told police that three men showed up about 5:30 p.m. and tried to get into the party.
The woman told the men to leave, and walked them outside, according to a police report.
The men got into an argument with the woman, who told police she saw them pulling something from their waistbands as she shut the door.
Seconds later, gunfire erupted behind the union hall, police said.”
Police have yet to make any arrests, and seem baffled by who could’ve done such a thing.
“Police found 41 bullet casings in the street outside the hall, including 32 9mm casings. They also found six 40-caliber casings and three 45 mm casings.”
It has been 5 months since the shooting and the police still have not responded to activists in Cleveland FIOA request for the police report on the incident. Perhaps it’s time for members of Greater Cleveland CopBlock to pay a visit to the third district barracks with some cameras and see if we can’t get that request fulfilled.
Now I don’t know about you and your experiences, but to me it is not a far stretch to imagine 3 cops being the culprits here. I have no proof of this as of yet but I know one group of men that do not like to be told they cant drink in their bar enough to shoot the place up, with the firepower to get it done and the influence to get away with it… COPS! I also know that 40 caliber and 9mm ammunition is popular among law enforcement officers. Whether it’s on the belt or in the trunk to plant on suspects, 9mm and 40 caliber make up 90% of officers, preferred caliber.
So with all the shit going on in Cleveland these days, would it surprise anyone to find out that, the shooters were cops who were denied entrance into one of their sanctuaries of alcohol abuse and AIDS jokes, and got so buthurt over it as to shoot the place up? 41 bullet casings were found which means whoever it was, went apeshit!
Fox8 had this to say:
FOP President Brian Betley confirms the shooting happened outside of the hall Sunday afternoon.
“I am just very thankful no one was hurt,” Betley said.
He said a baby shower was being held at the hall when a man tried to get inside the event. The man was told to leave and a short time later those inside heard several pops.
“At first they thought it was fireworks, but then realized it was gun shots ,” Betley said. “We are not sure if the gun shots were related to this or not.”
That’s funny because a witness told Cleveland.com that it was three men, and this FOP representative thinks it’s one guy? Either someone was misquoted or someone is full of it! I’ll let you decide which is which.
I’m not saying that it was cops that are responsible, but if not, why have the police not responded to freedom of information and public records requests from local activists that want to know what happened? There has to be a public record. A report that was filed that we can see? So why can’t we see it? What are they afraid to tell us?
Check back here for updates on this situation.
*Completely made up percentage. No facts, just personal experience to back this up. Im sure a lot of killer cops use .357 too!
Public Records Request and several emails asking for resolution because the request was never answered! This activist included several councilmen in the emails begging for the request to be filled.
Subject: Re: Acknowledging receipt RE: Public Records Request (PR# 16-1237)
From: Garry Kanter (garrykanter@yahoo.com)
To: blanghenry@city.cleveland.oh.us;
Cc:
PublicRecords@city.cleveland.oh.us; KRoberson@city.cleveland.oh.us;
csee@communityreentry.org; kkelley@clevelandcitycouncil.org;
JWilin@city.cleveland.oh.us;Date: Tuesday, September 20, 2016 11:11 PM
Director Langhenry,
Thank you for being available to speak with me about the Charter Amendment at tonight’s
Use Of Force meeting.
As I mentioned very briefly, this is one of the Public Records Requests – this one is from July
6, 2016 – I have submitted to the city that has not been satisfied. Other than the
acknowledgement, I have received no further communications on this very important matter.
Sincerely,
Garry Kanter
From: Garry Kanter <garrykanter@yahoo.com>
To: “Wilin, Joseph” <JWilin@city.cleveland.oh.us>
Cc: Law – Public Records <PublicRecords@city.cleveland.oh.us>;
“KRoberson@city.cleveland.oh.us” <KRoberson@city.cleveland.oh.us>; Charles See
<csee@communityreentry.org>; “kkelley@clevelandcitycouncil.org”
<kkelley@clevelandcitycouncil.org>
Sent: Friday, September 9, 2016 5:35 AM
Subject: Re: Acknowledging receipt RE: Public Records Request (PR# 16-1237)
To Whom It May Concern
Once again, I am following up on this Public Records request of July 6, 2016 which remains
unsatisfied two months later.
Please advise.
Sincerely,
Garry Kanter 11/13/2016 11:08 AM
From: Garry Kanter <garrykanter@yahoo.com>
To: “Wilin, Joseph” <JWilin@city.cleveland.oh.us>
Cc: Law – Public Records <PublicRecords@city.cleveland.oh.us>;
“KRoberson@city.cleveland.oh.us” <KRoberson@city.cleveland.oh.us>; Charles See
<csee@communityreentry.org>; “mzone@clevelandcitycouncil.org”
<mzone@clevelandcitycouncil.org>
Sent: Tuesday, August 30, 2016 9:00 AM
Subject: Re: Acknowledging receipt RE: Public Records Request (PR# 16-1237)
To Whom It May Concern
Once again, I am following up on this Public Records request of July 6, 2016 which remains
unsatisfied.
Please advise.
Sincerely,
Garry Kanter
From: Garry Kanter <garrykanter@yahoo.com>
To: “Wilin, Joseph” <JWilin@city.cleveland.oh.us>
Cc: Law – Public Records <PublicRecords@city.cleveland.oh.us>;
“KRoberson@city.cleveland.oh.us” <KRoberson@city.cleveland.oh.us>; Charles See
<csee@communityreentry.org>; “mzone@clevelandcitycouncil.org”
<mzone@clevelandcitycouncil.org>
Sent: Monday, August 22, 2016 8:31 AM
Subject: Re: Acknowledging receipt RE: Public Records Request (PR# 16-1237)
To Whom It May Concern
Once again, I am following up on this Public Records request of July 6, 2016 which
remains unsatisfied.
Please advise.
Sincerely,11/13/2016 11:08 AM
Garry Kanter
From: Garry Kanter <garrykanter@yahoo.com>
To: “Wilin, Joseph” <JWilin@city.cleveland.oh.us>
Cc: Law – Public Records <PublicRecords@city.cleveland.oh.us>;
“KRoberson@city.cleveland.oh.us” <KRoberson@city.cleveland.oh.us>;
Charles See <csee@communityreentry.org>
Sent: Saturday, July 30, 2016 7:25 AM
Subject: Re: Acknowledging receipt RE: Public Records Request (PR#
16-1237)
To Whom It May Concern
I am following up on this Public Records request of July 6, 2016 which
remains unsatisfied.
Please advise.
Sincerely,
Garry Kanter
From: “Wilin, Joseph” <JWilin@city.cleveland.oh.us>
To: ‘Garry Kanter’ <garrykanter@yahoo.com>
Cc: Law – Public Records <PublicRecords@city.cleveland.oh.us>
Sent: Tuesday, July 19, 2016 11:15 AM
Subject: FW: Acknowledging receipt RE: Public Records Request
(PR# 16-1237)
From: Wilin, Joseph
Sent: Tuesday, July 19, 2016 11:12 AM
To: ‘Garry Kanter’
Cc: Law – Public Records
Subject: FW: Acknowledging receipt RE: Public Records Request (PR# 16-1237)
In response to your email, please find below the acknowledgement we sent
on 7/8/2016. Your requested information is currently in the process of being
collected.11/13/2016 11:08 AM
publicrecords@city.cleveland.oh.us.
City of Cleveland
Department of Law
Public Records601 Lakeside Ave., Room 106
Cleveland, Ohio 44114
Tel: 216.664.2772
Fax: 216.420.8560
From:
Sent: Friday, July 08, 2016 10:50 AM
To: ‘Garry Kanter’
Cc: Law – Public Records
Subject: Acknowledging receipt RE: Public Records Request
This email is to acknowledge receipt of your public records request and that it
is being processed for a response.
For tracking purposes, your request is assigned PR# 16-1237.publicrecords@city.cleveland.oh.us.
From: Garry Kanter [mailto:garrykanter@yahoo.com]
Sent: Wednesday, July 06, 2016 7:57 PM
To: Law – Public Records
Subject: Public Records Request
Ms. Roberson,
Please send in electronic form the Police Reports relating to the
shootings and property damage at and near the FOP Union Hall on
Payne Ave. on Sunday, June 26, 2016 at approximately 5:30 pm.
Further identifying information regarding this incident are available at
this link:
Shots fired outside downtown Cleveland police union hall
during baby showerShots fired outside downtown Cleveland
police union hall during baby shower
Three men fired shots outside the FOP Lodge 8 union hall
Sunday evening after they were denied entry into a priv…
Sincerely,
Garry Kanter
After a day of the runaround, filming cops and the law department in Cleveland, Mr. Kanter got an email before we even got home about his Public record request. I also filled one out in case they still don’t give him what he asked for. Just because he got an email doesn’t mean the report is in it.
You can see the livestream video shot downtown Cleveland at Cell411TV page on Facebook. There will be video posted here after it is finished, but the livestream tells the story as well.
