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CLEVELAND (WJW) — A Cuyahoga County grand jury has indicted two more East Cleveland police officers, one of whom allegedly witnessed then ignored a car crash in March and another who allegedly hid evidence of that officer’s dereliction of duty.
East Cleveland police Cmdr. Larry McDonald, 42, on March 12 was pursuing a motorist when the motorist’s car crashed into a bus stop near the intersection of Ivanhoe Road and St. Clair Avenue in Cleveland.
“Commander McDonald saw the crash then fled the scene,” reads a Tuesday news release from the prosecutor’s office. “A Good Samaritan called the police and the Cleveland Division of Police responded to the scene.”
Evidence shows McDonald didn’t tell dispatchers about the pursuit or the crash. Also, East Cleveland police Sgt. Anthony Holmes knew that Cleveland police had begun an investigation into the crash but withheld knowledge of McDonald’s involvement in the pursuit, prosecutors said.
McDonald was indicted on counts of tampering with evidence, failure to stop after an accident, telecommunications fraud, obstructing official business and dereliction of duty.
Holmes was indicted on counts of tampering with evidence, telecommunications fraud, obstructing justice, obstructing official business and dereliction of duty.
Holmes was also charged in an October 2021 incident in which a now-former East Cleveland police officer Tristan Homan, 25, and detective Ian McInnes, 39, allegedly attacked a 16-year-old boy following a pursuit that ended near the intersection of East 105th Street and Superior Avenue in Cleveland.
The 16-year-old reportedly sat down and put his hands in the air and McInnes “ran up to the victim and kicked him in the groin.”
Holmes and McInnes now face new charges of tampering with records, telecommunications fraud, dereliction of duty and assault.
Tre Dehart Robinson, 28, is also facing a new charge of tampering with evidence in a February 2020 incident, for allegedly turning off his body-worn camera after McInnes kicked a 24-year-old man in the ribs following a pursuit that ended with a foot chase near Thornhill Avenue and Forbes Drive in Cleveland.
The victim was reportedly incapacitated with a stun device and then kicked while he was on the ground and complying with officers’ commands, prosecutors said.
However, Cuyahoga County prosecutors say the additional charge was filed in error and will be dismissed at a later date.
County prosecutors in March announced new public corruption charges and civil rights violations against 11 current and former East Cleveland officers. Another five officers, including the former police chief, had been previously indicted amid an ongoing investigation into the department.
The FBI has established a hotline to report allegations of abuse or misconduct by East Cleveland police officers. To file a report, call 216-583-5343.
