The family of a man accused of punching and shoving a Cleveland police officer on Friday night is speaking out.
Mary Brack, mother of 23-year-old Brian Brack, said her son did not start a fight that led to both men falling out of a plate-glass window and going to the hospital.
The brawl happened Friday night at Panini’s Bar & Grill at Prospect Ave. and E. 9th St. in downtown Cleveland after the couple attended a Cleveland Indians game.
Police said Brack and his girlfriend, 20-year-old Destany Dixon got into an altercation with an off-duty officer who was working security.
The officer asked the couple to leave after it was discovered Dixon was illegally drinking alcohol. Soon after, punches started flying.
Brack traveled to Cleveland on Monday from North Canton to bail out her son on a felonious assault charge. She said the officer started the fight by pushing her son.
“And the gentleman that walked up to him pushed him and my son’s like hey why are you pushing me? He pushed him back,” Brack said.
Brack also disputed claims the officer was in his police uniform, as detailed in the police incident report.
“He wasn’t in uniform. He was dressed just like you and I are,” Brack said.
Those discrepancies could be cleared up with surveillance video police collected at the scene, but neither police nor Panini’s management have chosen to release it publicly.
“I would love to see that video,” Brack said. "I would love to see it.”
News 5 has chosen not to identify the officer because he has not been charged with a crime. News 5 has requested an interview, but he has not agreed to one.
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