CLELVELAND — Downtown Cleveland buildings lit up in blue Wednesday to honor fallen Cleveland Police Detective James Skernivitz.
Detective James Skernivitz, 53, was shot and killed around 10 p.m. in the 3200 block of West 65th Street on Sept. 3. Another person, later identified as Scott Dingess, 50, was also killed. Police said Dingess was a victim of the shooting and not a suspect.
A rep for the Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association said Skernivitz, a husband and father, was "well-liked" and a "good man."
Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams said Skernivitz was part of Operation Legend, a federal law enforcement effort taking place in cities across the country, including Cleveland. He was most recently assigned to the Gang Impact Unit.
"We definitely need the prayers of the people in the city. This officer was out doing what all police officers do—trying to protect the people the city—and he gave his life," Williams said hours after the shooting.
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