Lawsuit: Cleveland Police Won’t Give Burglary Victim His Gun Back

A Cleveland man is going after the city of Cleveland’s police department for what’s rightfully— Constitutionally-stamped— his. That’s the gist of a recent lawsuit filed on behalf of Brian Bridges against the city in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas court. Following a 2015 justified shooting, Bridges claims the city are still holding onto his firearm and wont’ return it even though the case is closed.

On March 24, 2015, Bridges returned to his home on Walden Avenue near E. 169th Street around 5:30 p.m. There, he confronted two men burglarizing the property. Bridges, a licensed concealed-carry permit holder, shot one of the burglars— Joseph W. Eason— in the confrontation. The second man— Anthony. A. Akins-Daniels— ran from the scene, but was later apprehended by police. He was later hit with charges related to the death of his accomplice.

According to the suit, on the night of the shooting, Brian Bridges’s house was searched by police. Items were taken for the investigation, including a “glock 21 semiautomatic handgun, ammunition, holsters.” Although the shooting was ruled self-defense and justifiable, the property was to be used in the trial against Akins-Daniels.

That trial wasn’t to be— the defendant pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in October 2015. But now, in 2017, Bridges still hasn’t gotten his handgun and other items back, the complaint alleges.

The city “wrongfully, intentionally and maliciously continue to hold” his property and refuses to return it “even though the personal property is not being held under any process of law and is not claimed under title or legal right by any other party or entity,” the lawsuit argues.

Bridges’s attorney didn’t return a call for comment earlier today. We’ll update the post with any developments.

This article appears in May 3-9, 2017.