NORTH OLMSTED, Ohio –
OVI: Lorain Road
An officer on Nov. 16 arrested a driver of a Ford Escape for operating a vehicle while intoxicated after “almost crashing” into a patrol cruiser on Lorain Road.
The officer was driving westbound approaching Ranchview Avenue in a marked patrol cruiser when the oncoming SUV turned left onto Ranchview Avenue directly in front of the cruiser. The officer swerved, according to a police report. The SUV also swerved, and a collision was avoided. The officer then began following the SUV, which was heading northbound on Ranchview Avenue “at a high rate of speed,” according to the police report. When the SUV turned onto Timber Cove, it drove onto a tree lawn and sidewalk, according to the police report.
When the vehicle stopped and the patrol officer spoke with the suspect, the officer noticed the smell of an alcoholic beverage, and the driver said he was coming from a local bar. He said he swerved on Lorain Road to avoid hitting something that looked like an animal in the road.
The driver had difficulty following instructions and maintaining his balance during field sobriety tests, according to the police report. A breath test revealed an alcohol level of 0.19. The suspect was charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated, failure to control, and driving upon a sidewalk.
Shoplifting: Country Club Boulevard
Officers at 6:03 p.m. on Nov. 13 responded to Dillard’s department store for a suspected shoplifter who had been observed by store security placing Cleveland Browns hats and sample bottles of cologne in his pockets.
When confronted, the suspect handed over four cologne tester bottles, and three Browns hats were recovered from a backpack.
The suspect began complaining of chest pains and was taken to a hospital. Police submitted a warrant request through Rocky River Municipal Court for the suspect to be charged with misdemeanor theft.
Theft, suspected drugs: Great Northern Shopping Center
Officers at 10:41 a.m. on Nov. 16 responded to Home Depot regarding a suspected shoplifting in progress.
As officers arrived, store loss prevention employees reported the man was running out of the store. Officers in the parking lot ordered the suspect to stop, but he attempted to hide between parked cars, according to a police report. He was running back and forth covering about 100 yards in the parking lot before officers grabbed the suspect and pulled him to the ground.
In his pockets, they found two clear plastic bags containing white rocks suspected to be cocaine, according to the police report. They also recovered 37 packets of prescription buprenorphine and naloxone strips, according to the police report.
The suspect had small abrasions on his forehead and became unresponsive to questions, so he was taken to a hospital for medical treatment.
Home Depot security said he was seen loading flooring and plumbing fixtures onto a flatbed-style cart and was selecting the items with no apparent regard to price. He then pushed the cart toward exit doors without paying for the merchandise, at which time he was confronted by store security. The cart contained more than $1,948 in merchandise, according to the report.
The police report stated that since the suspect was released for medical treatment, a decision on charges would be made after receiving laboratory results on the suspected drugs.
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