CLEVELAND — Cleveland's Civilian Police Review Board has made its recommendations nearly a year after a police officer crashed while rushing Mayor Justin Bibb to a meeting. The board sustained four of five counts made against the officer.
On June 13, 2024, veteran police officer Demetrius Woods, who is part of Bibb's security detail, was driving the mayor to City Hall in an unmarked police SUV.
Watch our coverage of that crash:
RELATED: Mayor Justin Bibb's vehicle turned on emergency lights before running intersection that led to crash
Woods turned on his lights but failed to activate his sirens and then proceeded to run a red light at the intersection of East 12th Street and Superior Avenue.
The police car hit a work van, totaling it. Nobody in either car was seriously injured.
The police officer was taking Bibb to an important meeting on the cyberattack that crippled city hall:
RELATED: Driver in Mayor Bibb's crash told police he drove through red light heading to 'emergency meeting'
The case has been reviewed by multiple groups, including internal affairs and a special prosecutor, but nearly a year later, not even a traffic ticket has been issued.
Tyler Sinclair, spokesperson for the City, blames the delays on the Office of Professional Standards saying the case was tentatively scheduled for a disciplinary hearing last Septemeber, but was "dragged on due to delays initiated by OPS."
Tuesday, the Civilian Police Review Board, which has standing in the case after receiving an anonymous citizen complaint, heard from investigator Art Bowker with the Office of Professional Standards.
"That was his position, I'm a police officer, I'm allowed to go through emergency lights," said Bowker.
But the General Police Order is clear, said Bowker, "You are only to do that under certain circumstances, the big one there is an emergency, and even then, you are supposed to do two things: activate your lights and turn on your siren."
According to the investigator, Woods and his union representative said, "police officers do this all the time."
Bowker also said the mayor attending a big meeting didn't constitute a police emergency.
The Civilian Police Review Board made its recommendations for Officer Woods for the crash, not wearing a body cam, not wearing a protective vest and not filing a report in due time. He could face anything from verbal counseling to a five-day suspension.
Those recommendations now go to police brass to finalize.
An accusation that Woods made false statements was ruled, "Unfounded."
