Cuyahoga County Deputies Called ‘Cowboys’ for Pointing Assault Rifle Out of Window During High-Speed Chase

In a screenshot captured from bodycam footage, Cuyahoga County Deputy Isen Vajusi is shown pointing an assault rifle out of a cruiser’s window while chasing a stolen car in December 2024.

Isen Vajusi, a Cuyahoga County sheriff’s deputy, pointed an assault rifle out of a moving cruiser’s window while speeding more than 100 mph at times during a December chase of a stolen car, bodycam footage shows.

Once the fleeing car crashed and flipped into a telephone pole, Vajusi jumped out, pointed his rifle at one suspect and shouted numerous vulgarities. “We don’t want to kill people,” Vajusi yelled, according to a review of the footage by The Marshall Project – Cleveland and News 5 Cleveland.

He later boasted about the arrest: “We got the dudes. We got the car. We didn’t shoot anybody. It can’t get any better than this. … I’m glad I didn’t have to use my gun this time.”

Sheriff Harold Pretel declined an interview. He would not answer specific questions about the chase such as whether the chase violated the pursuit policy or whether he had viewed the video.

“We stand behind our pursuit policy, which prioritizes the safety of both the public and our deputies,” department officials said in a statement. “This policy allows deputies to respond quickly to serious threats while minimizing risks. The policy also reflects our commitment to protecting our community in a responsible and effective manner.”

Jeff Wenninger, a Cleveland-area expert on police tactics, called the bodycam footage troubling because deputies put bystanders at risk of being hit if an accidental discharge had occurred.

“This was sloppy, unsafe, and shows a lack of discipline — real cowboys,” said Wenninger, the founder and CEO of Law Enforcement Consultants LLC. “Their crude language and unprofessional barking of commands made it clear they were operating with no discipline, no composure and no regard for proper tactics.”

For months, The Marshall Project – Cleveland and News 5 Cleveland have been asking questions about how the downtown unit operates alongside Cleveland police — who are under different leadership and must follow strict rules under a federal consent decree to prevent abuses.

The December 2024 chase was not Vajusi’s first controversial incident. It came two months after he shot a teenager in the leg and before he fired four rounds at another teenager on May 16 in Cleveland.

The news outlets reported in June that Vajusi was forced off a suburban police force after he failed his field training and it was found that he lacked confidence, had “difficulty in stressful situations” and “hesitates because he is afraid of making a mistake.”