One of the first things Mayor Lateek Shabazz said he would do while in office was clean up the police department, and he did so by firing Acting Police Chief Kenneth Lundy.
“When I came in, I promised to reform the police department, and that’s what I’m doing right now,” said Shabazz.
This comes less than one week after Shabazz became mayor of East Cleveland following a split decision by the Ohio Court of Appeals, which ruled that City Council President Shabazz should assume the office formerly held by Brandon King, who was convicted of committing crimes while in office.
RELATED: Court of Appeals confirms Lateek Shabazz as East Cleveland's new mayor
Meantime, Reverend Anthony Small of Starlight Missionary Baptist Church said he's in shock after Shabazz announced his decision on Monday to fire Lundy.
“When the original East Cleveland Council got together, the preachers, they swore at city hall that we would be at the table with them,” said Small.
But now, Small said they continue to be left out of important conversations like this one.
“They don’t want to hear from us, but we’re not in the political game. Our thing is people,” said Small.
“I don’t want people to think that they don’t have protection,” said Shabazz. “We have to clean the face of the city up and that’s what (I intend) to do.”
During the press conference at City Hall, Shabazz said the city performed a review and found Lundy did not follow the required competitive civil service examinations as he was promoted to various ranks, including Acting Police Chief.
Shabazz also said Lundy’s appointed service in June 2016 far exceeded the city’s rules, which limit temporary classified appointments to no more than 180 days in a calendar year, so Shabazz said they let Lundy go from the department.
“We have to put a police chief in office that’s honorable and (goes) by the law,” said Shabazz.
Lundy became the East Cleveland Police Chief after Brian Gerhard resigned "for purposes of retirement," according to a resignation agreement obtained by News 5.
Gerhard was placed on paid leave in December 2023 after News 5 obtained copies of text message memes sent and received from the chief's cell phone that contained antisemitic, racist and homophobic content.
RELATED: East Cleveland Police Chief Brian Gerhard resigns, will get paid through 2024
Gerhard replaced Chief Scott Gardner, who was indicted on tax and other charges in August 2022.
Gardner accepted a plea deal in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, agreeing to plead guilty to a tax-related charge while 23 other counts of alleged financial crimes were withdrawn.
RELATED: Former East Cleveland Police Chief Scott Gardner pleads guilty to tax charge
In a statement, Shabazz said he fired Lundy based on civil service qualifications and the length of his temporary appointment.
Mayor Lateek Shabazz today announced the immediate termination of Kenneth Lundy from his position as Acting Chief of Police. The decision follows a comprehensive review that uncovered multiple violations of Ohio civil service laws and East Cleveland ordinances regarding his appointment and promotions.
According to the review, Mr. Lundy was originally appointed in June 2016 and promoted through the ranks of sergeant, lieutenant, captain, and, most recently, Acting Chief of Police on January 2, 2024 — none of which adhered to the required competitive civil service examinations. Additionally, East Cleveland’s ordinances limit temporary classified appointments to no more than 180 days in a calendar year; Mr. Lundy’s continuous service far exceeded that limit. The only unclassified police employee is a six-month beat patrol commissioned officer who is not authorized to be a member of a collective bargaining union.
“These violations are incurable and expose the City to significant liability,” said Mayor Shabazz. “We have a duty to uphold Ohio law, our charter and our own ordinances. Ensuring that our police department operates lawfully under our state constitution's civil service mandates is essential to protecting the public, the employee and protecting the City from legal liability.”
Mayor Shabazz said some employees who think they're authorized classified law enforcement officers are not, and it's a problem he's assigned staff to immediately correct. He said mayors between 2010 and 2025 appear to have operated as if civil service laws were non-existent. Shabazz said he's directing his staff to take immediate steps to prevent future appointment and promotion violations, including:
• Conducting a full audit of current and past police appointments for civil service and Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy compliance
• Requiring the East Cleveland Civil Service Commission to administer competitive written examination and eligibility list certification for all classified positions
• Providing additional training to department heads on civil service requirements
Shabazz said he will coordinate with the Civil Service Commission to implement mandatory compliance measures without delay.
Another reason Shabazz said he fired Lundy is due to his involvement in a romantic relationship during a 2019 aggravated murder case, which led to the unfair conviction of Jerry Sims, who was recently released in May 2025.
“I don’t want it to be my police department made a stupid mistake like that because it makes me look bad,” said Shabazz.
According to defense attorney Kimberly Kendall Corral, Sims did not receive a fair process due to a romantic relationship she said took place between the state’s key witness and detective Lundy:
RELATED: Local man released from prison after unfair conviction in 2019 aggravated murder
The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office sent News 5 the following statement on Sims' release:
“It was established that a key witness and a detective from the East Cleveland Police Department engaged in a romantic relationship before, during, and after the trial. This was unknown to the trial prosecutors and the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office. Because this relationship was not disclosed to the defense and goes to both witnesses’ credibility, the State conceded that a constitutional violation occurred at trial. In light of existing evidence, retrial is not possible at this time. We remain frustrated at the corruption and lack of professionalism that continues to be exhibited by many in the East Cleveland Police Department. An investigation into these matters is ongoing. Stay tuned.”
Shabazz said Lundy has not responded to the city’s letter, and Lundy has yet to get back to us either.
But Shabazz is in the process of selecting a new police chief, and said he expects to have Lundy’s replacement by the end of the week.
In the meantime, Bishop Dollye Finney is calling for more involvement between the city and the community.
“I am concerned about not having a chief or an interviewee that at least we know about or that the community would be a part of interviewing. I’m looking forward to a good resolution and some conversations with the mayor with the community,” said Finney.
