A former Cleveland Police officer, who was also previously a spokesperson at the department, was sentenced this week for firing his weapon at a school parking lot last year in Lake County.
The officer, Alexander Sinclair, was sentenced to a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of 12 years in prison on Wednesday, according to a Facebook post from Lake County Sheriff's Office Lt. Larry Harpster.
On Oct. 31, 2024, Sinclair was arrested in connection with a shot fired in the parking lot of Riverview Elementary School while off-duty.
The former Cleveland PIO was charged with the following counts:
- One count of kidnapping
- One count of abduction
- Two counts of endangering children
- One count of assault
- One count of inducing panic
According to Harpster, Sinclair initially pleaded not guilty to the charges, but changed his plea to guilty on April 10.
Sinclair also resigned in April as part of his plea agreement, following his suspension without pay by the department in November 2024.
"We would like to express our appreciation to the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office and the Lake County Crime Lab for their outstanding assistance with this investigation," Harpster said.
What happened?
The Lake County Sheriff's Office arrested Sinclair after deputies alleged he fired a shot into a car window during a domestic dispute. A school resource officer was able to detain him after a struggle.
The incident prompted a lockdown at Riverview Elementary School and postponed the school's Halloween parties.
A woman in the car described how Sinclair followed her to the school after an argument at a nearby daycare.
After dropping off one of her children, she said Sinclair then rammed his vehicle into hers, which prevented her from leaving the school's parking lot.
She said Sinclair then got out of his vehicle and "walked around the front of the car with his gun pointed at the window. He shot that firearm, and it went through my windshield."
The bullet did not hit anyone.
Two nearby schools went into lockdown as first responders swarmed the scene in response, shaking up parents who quickly came to take their children home.
Who is the officer?
Sinclair was once considered a rising star within the Cleveland Division of Police.
Before working in the Fifth District, he briefly served as the department’s public information officer, where he worked with the media to provide information to the public and schedule interviews with police officials.
City records show he was hired in April 2015.
