CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Police Department has formally issued its punishment for the officer who drove Mayor Justin Bibb's vehicle through a red light and smashed into another vehicle.
The crash happened on June 13, 2024, at East 12th Street and Superior Avenue and involved Bibb's city vehicle and another motorist.
Demetrius Woods, a 22-year police veteran, activated his lights at the intersection moments before driving through the red light. Nobody in either car was seriously injured.
Body camera footage showed Woods telling a Cleveland police officer that he drove through a red light to get to an emergency meeting:
RELATED: Driver in Mayor Bibb's crash told police he drove through red light heading to 'emergency meeting'
Shortly after, Cleveland Police Chief Annie Todd told News 5 that upon preliminary examination, the driver activated his lights "outside of the emergency response driving policy."
The accident was captured on camera:
Almost 14 months later, Chief Todd has officially recommended a suspension of five workdays without pay for the officer, according to City of Cleveland spokesperson Tyler Sinclair.
Sinclair shed light on a slower-than-expected process, which he called "frustrating."
"CDP previously conducted a thorough internal investigation into the matter and was already moving forward with a disciplinary hearing on September 16th of last year," Sinclair said in a statement. "As we’ve repeatedly said in the past, this matter would’ve been resolved at that time – just a few months after the incident occurred – had it not been for 1) an “anonymous” complaint filed with OPS; and 2) the former OPS Administrator’s recommendation to refer the case back to CDP for investigation, again, despite the fact that was already done. These two things have single-handedly delayed the entire disciplinary process for nearly a year at this point, which has been incredibly frustrating."
Sinclair added that the union will have the right to appeal, and the city will adhere to standard procedures.
"The Administration continues to advocate for an expeditious resolution to this matter," he said.
