Courtesy The City Club of Cleveland
After prosecutors for the city of Cleveland declined to bring charges against Frank Q. Jackson, the mayor's grandson, in connection with a vicious beating of a woman in front of witnesses, the county prosecutor's office has now filed charges.
The case, which the city never referred to the county despite it being a possible felony, appears to have been quickly presented to a grand jury following the Cleveland.com report on Tuesday detailing the decision by city prosecutors to not pursue an indictment. The indictment was announced in a press release yesterday evening.
On June 10, according to CMHA police reports, Jackson allegedly punched his 18-year-old girlfriend in the face several times in his truck and choked her in front of another young woman. He then allegedly drove them to an apartment on East 49th St., where he grabbed the victim by the hair and dragged her across the grass before punching and choking her again. Jackson then allegedly grabbed a metal hitch from his truck and struck her on her left knee.
Police were promptly called. But as they questioned the victim, who identified Frank Q. Jackson as her attacker, Jackson returned to the apartment and drove slowly drove down the street, speeding away when police gave chase. His mother later did the same, driving slowly and threateningly by, and police noted that members of Frank Q. Jackson's family "began to drive around the area."
The grisly incident, which was, again, witnessed by others, was reviewed by the city prosecutor's office which decided on July 24th against proceeding with charges.
That decision, which signaled that the city of Cleveland had little interest in protecting women and every interest in protecting the mayor's family, was immediately met with outcries after Cleveland.com's report.
The county seemed to directly address that disparity in its statement announcing charges last night.
"The Grand Jury reviewed the facts of this case and has come to this determination," the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office spokesman said in a statement. "The message is that it is not acceptable to violently abuse women in Cuyahoga County."
Meanwhile, Frank Jackson told WKYC's Mark Naymik that, "If there are things I need to discuss with family, that's between me and my family. How I feel is how and how I think is not a public record."
