Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument Damaged After Climber Tries to Look Cool

One vandal was caught on surveillance camera Wednesday afternoon expertly climbing and maiming the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument on Public Square. Before jumping off and leaving with friends, the person reportedly knocked off a bronze piece of one of the statue’s cannons 

Thankfully, the police have found the missing piece, but it’s now unclear how much the damage will cost to repair.

The 125-year-old monument serves as memorial to all Cuyahoga County Civil War veterans and service members.

While climbing tall things because they are there seems to be a part of human nature (see: Mount Everest), it’s important to note that simply scaling the old AF monument downtown Cleveland can lead to damage — which is why it’s not allowed. Back in 2015, three area men had to pay $10,000 to repair the statue after climbing it, and also received community service.

The Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department is currently looking into the situation. 

Watch a video of the climb right here.

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This article appears in Jul 24-30, 2019.