Cleveland Police arrested three people on the Detroit-Superior Bridge during the first of two “unity marches” Monday. Protesters had gathered at the Cudell Rec Center and walked nearly four miles to downtown to protest police violence and advocate for community involvement in ongoing discussions about police reform.
The arrests occurred near the tail end of the West Side March, which began at about 1 p.m. Police were physically trying to confine marchers to one lane before they entered downtown.
Michael Fiala, 60, David Steinmuller, 29, and Edward Lessin, 74, (who goes by “Norm”) were arrested for aggravated disorderly conduct, a charge that police spokespeople said they couldn’t clarify until an official police report had been submitted.
(All three were released Tuesday morning: Lessin was not charged. Steinmuller was charged with aggravated disorderly conduct. Fiala was charged with aggravated disorderly conduct and resisting arrest).
Below, view the arrest of Fiala, who literally had just fallen down as police and protesters pushed and shoved. (Video appeared on local activist Don Bryant’s YouTube page).
Councilman Brian Cummins, who participated in both of Monday’s marches, said he suspected the police were trying to make a statement:
“They wanted to make it known that they were serious,” he told Scene in a phone conversation Tuesday. “I think [those arrested] may have been on the fringes, or were straggling a bit, but there was clearly a lot of confusion when it occurred. By and large, people didn’t want to be arrested and were generally moving forward in an attempt to comply. It seems really unfortunate that this happened, particularly on MLK Day.”
Here’s Steinmuller, before his arrest, with his daughter:
Local activist Rachelle Smith, who attended the march, said she thinks police may be factoring protesters’ resistance into Fiala’s charges. As is evident in the video above, he submits peacefully and without struggle. And once again, though It’s not clear here, additional footage posted to the #OrganizeCLE Facebook page shows Fiala falling to the ground moments earlier.“Aggravated disorderly conduct” protester in #ReclaimMLKcle walking w/ his daughter @SpazzyKatie #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/xhKZEgF8WH
— ClevelandActivism (@OccupyCleveland) January 19, 2015
Shortly after the arrests, in a bizarre turn of events, police cruisers halted the protest — “They sandwiched us in,” said Cummins — and threatened to make more arrests because a commander had lost his Blackberry. Police assumed one of the protesters had stolen it during the commotion.
Tweeted Rachelle Smith, an activist in attendance:
And then, to lighten the mood:@SceneSallard @CLEpolice we were told if we didn’t turn over the phone we’d all be arrested
— Rachology216 (@rachology216) January 19, 2015
“We figured if indeed the commander was still using a Blackberry, he was eligible for an upgrade,” Smith told Scene in a phone conversation Tuesday. “They were screaming at us, and none of us has any idea what they were talking about.”@Citizen__B @OccupyCleveland @CLEpolice This is the point where a chant of “blackberries matter” broke out
— Rachology216 (@rachology216) January 20, 2015
Smith also said that as far as she knew, though the police ultimately let the protesters pass, the phone was never recovered. Police spokespeople have not yet responded to requests for comments regarding the commander’s phone.
Both Fiala and Steinmuller — “the most passive 29-year-old you will ever meet,” said Smith — will be arraigned tomorrow morning.
This article appears in Jan 14-20, 2015.
Hi, I’m the protestor featured in the image with his daughter. Given the vitriol surrounding matters of race in this city, can you please remove the image with my daughter. Their are other images that feature me, but not her. I know that you are legally permitted to use the photo, providing you cleared the copyrights, but I ask that you remove it as a courtesy. She doesn’t need the threats that tend to follow these stories.
They noticed there was no one there wearing a cop block shirt! They thought they could get away with shit! GUESS AGAIN!! POLICE ACCOUNTIBILITY NEEDS TO BE TAKING CENTER STAGE!!!!
The city council is claiming they are listening while all the while making the same mistakes over and over again!! If we didnt bring the police academy hiring of a questionable person, to light. They would hav e hired him without so much as a question about his past!! And they wanna claim they are listening?!?!?!
GET OUT THERE AND FILM THE POLICE CLEVELAND!!!! Do it because its your RIGHT!! Do it because BADGES DONT GRANT EXTRA RIGHTS!!!!-DEO Greater Cleveland Cop Block
ATTENTION ALL PEOPLE!!! Stop and think. Let us have a moment of silence for those who have died at the hands of violence period! Violence is not a police thing, it’s a people thing! We need to look at the complete picture. Police officers, and anyone who is in the law enforcement profession have a lot of violent citizens to deal with on an everyday basis. Members of our society, both black and white, and of all colors find ourselves victims of violent crime on a regular basis. Everyday, we hear “Shots-fired” calls that are generated by you and I. When a group of juveniles force entry into our homes and hold families hostage in their own homes at gunpoint, who do we call? We call the police. When our houses get riddled with bullets because young people are shooting it out in our neighborhoods, who do we call? We call the police. When a park like Cuddell grows a reputation for being a breeding ground for gang activity, gang shootings, robberies and the like; why would any responsible parent allow their child to frequent that park unsupervised by an adult? True, it is a tragic thing that a twelve year old lost his life, at the hands of the police in that situation, however, we have to look at the big picture. If you were a police officer responding to hundreds of shots-fired calls, and calls from citizens who have just witnessed their mom or dad getting gunned down in their own homes, wouldn’t you be a bit gun-shy yourselves. You get a call for a male with a gun, you are going to be prepared for the worse! We must realize that the devil is here but to steal, kill and destroy, and the police are not the devil. And the devil is the father of violence!