CLEVELAND — Neighbors in Cleveland’s Old Brooklyn neighborhood are looking for answers after an incident resulted in a damaged patrol car and a heavy police presence just outside of people’s homes.
Police couldn’t confirm to News 5 what exactly happened, but when we spoke to neighbors, they told us it was unusual.
“What we had once for many years was a quiet neighborhood,” said Fred Hodges.
Fred Hodges has lived off West 45th and Berhwald in Cleveland’s Old Brooklyn neighborhood for 16 years.
He said the silence he’s used to on his street has been broken after coming out of his home Monday evening to see a damaged sheriff’s county truck, along with a dozen SWAT team members and police officers, just steps from his door.
News 5 also saw police taping off a porch that has now been destroyed.
“We don’t like to see those kinds of things. It’s troubling,” said Hodges.
In the last three weeks, Hodges said his neighborhood has seen several events that are uncommon for the street, from Monday night’s situation to a 10-year-old being shot in the 5100 block of Gifford Avenue that News 5 reported on just last month.
“It’s unsettling,” said Hodges.
Despite the circumstances, Hodges said he feels safe and is hopeful things will soon return back to normal, as News 5 waits for more information from police.
“You wonder what’s going to happen next. Hopefully, this will be all we’re going to see for a while,” said Hodges.
Neighbors encourage the community to attend their safety meetings.
The first one is at the Second District Policing Committee’s Meeting on Tuesday, March 12, at 6:00 p.m. at Bridge CLE on 3389 Fulton Road.
Then Hodges welcomes people to come to their Old Brooklyn Safety Meeting at St James Church next Monday at 7 p.m.