Credit: 19 Action News Screenshot

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  • 19 Action News Screenshot

It remains the best news story of the year in Cleveland: Police officers dragged a basketball hoop slowly through a neighborhood after ordering children not to play in the street. The video, captured by 19 Action News, is the stuff of Cleveland “Law Enforcement” Legend.

Amid all the goofiness of Cleveland’s finest in action, Cheri Fiorilli, who had bought the hoop for the neighborhood kids, was written a ticket. Which, yes, of course, makes the whole story even dumber.

ANYWAY. Today, Fiorilli was in court when the city prosecutor suddenly dropped the charges. 19 Action News snarkily added that Fiorilli and her lawyer asserted that the news video handiwork rightfully embarrassed the department (though it pales in comparison to at least one other story involving 137 bullets or something).

The news station also reported that someone from out of state had already gone ahead and purchased a new hoop for the neighborhood, because the cops’ actions were ridiculous.

This article appears in Jun 18-24, 2014.

Eric Sandy is an award-winning Cleveland-based journalist. For a while, he was the managing editor of Scene. He now contributes jam band features every now and then.

7 replies on “City Prosecutor Drops Charges in Absurdist Basketball Hoop Drama”

  1. So since Cleveland police can take away your basketball hoop if you use it to play in the street, here’s some other great things Cleveland police can start doing:
    -confiscate the shoes of anyone caught jaywalking
    -tow away and sell at auction any car that is ticketed for speeding
    -anyone caught loitering will have their identity stolen by the police and sold to the highest bidder

  5. I hate Channel 19 Fraction Nooze, especially Roseanne Roseannadanna…oops, I meant to say Lydia Esparra…and her embarrassing fright wig. Why in the hell did they ever promote her to weekend anchor? She should still be out on the street.

    But kudos to Channel 19 for snarkily running this story. The cops just couldn’t deal with all the resulting hoop-la.

    Chuckles the Clown

  6. Some police these days think just because they wear a badge they are above the law and can run anyone they want! Like they say karma, karma, karma comes back on everyone, just cus your a cop don’t make you extinct from karma!

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