Here are your headlines for Wednesday, September 6:
- Cuyahoga Falls man fatally shot en route to Akron homeless shelter identified;
- Cleveland NAACP accuses police union of escalating racial tension;
- Ohio lawmakers and public officials voice support for DACA;
- Investigation finds cardiac arrest played a role in Summit County jail altercation;
- Stark County man sent to prison for dumping polluted waste;
- Coast Guard suspends search for man who disappeared in Lake Erie;
- Body cam footage from shooting of photojournalist will be released;
- Ohio's highest court calls for free legal aid to Harvey victims;
- Lake Erie toxicity deters visitors over Labor Day weekend;
- Kasich joins Schwarzenegger's anti-gerrymandering efforts;
Cuyahoga Falls man fatally shot en route to Akron homeless shelter identified
Relatives of a Cuyahoga Falls man who was transported to an Akron homeless shelter by an officer and then shot to death are demanding answers. The victim is identified as 30-year-old William Porubsky. Judy Varner says she's upset and doesn't understand why her grandson was shot and killed by a Stow police officer outside the Haven of Rest shelter Sunday night. Police say the officer asked for backup from Akron police because Porubsky was becoming aggressive. The officer used a stun-gun on Porubsky, who was unarmed, then about five minutes later, shot him. The officer’s name has not been released. Stow police have turned the investigation over to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
Cleveland NAACP accuses police union of escalating racial tension
The response to Cleveland Browns players kneeling during the national anthem is itself becoming a point of contention. The Cleveland NAACP is accusing the Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association of escalating racial tension in the city. The rank-and-file union has pulled out of the Browns pregame ceremonies, calling the Browns’ behavior offensive and accusing the organization of endorsing its players’ actions. In a statement the NAACP said the counter-demonstration represents a gap between law enforcement and minorities.
Ohio lawmakers and public officials voice support for DACA
A chorus of Ohio lawmakers and public officials is speaking out against President Donald Trump’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals – or DACA – program. Democratic Northeast Ohio Congressman Tim Ryan in a statement accused the White House of lacking compassion. Both Ryan and fellow Democratic Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur called on Congress to act on comprehensive immigration reform. Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson encouraged the city’s residents to know their rights and what they can do if confronted by an immigration officer. DACA was created under the Obama administration by executive order in 2012. It currently allows about 800,000 children of illegal immigrants to work and go to school without being deported.
Investigation finds cardiac arrest played a role in Summit County jail altercation
A medical examiner says a Summit County jail inmate suffered sudden cardiac arrest after an altercation with sheriff's deputies over the weekend. Anthony Jones, 36, died Saturday after being hospitalized following the Friday morning incident in a secure part of the county jail. Two deputies suffered minor injuries in the altercation. They have been placed on paid leave. The investigation is being conducted by the sheriff's office in neighboring Stark County. The medical examiner says an official cause and manner of death will be determined after more autopsy results come back.
Stark County man sent to prison for dumping polluted waste
A federal judge has sentenced a Stark County man to three-and-a-half years in prison for dumping polluted wastewater into creeks leading to the Tuscarawas River. Adam Boylen was working for trucking company when, last year, he dumped wastewater into tributaries near Beach City instead of a disposal facility in Pennsylvania. Thousands of fish were killed and there were $100,000 in clean-up costs. Boylen was also ordered to pay $85,000 in restitution.
Coast Guard suspends search for man who disappeared in Lake Erie
The Coast Guard has suspended the search for a Bratenahl man who disappeared Monday while swimming in Lake Erie near Cleveland. A woman called the rescue center in Cleveland Monday evening, saying her father had been swimming near a boat when he was hit by a large wave and didn't resurface. Authorities said he wasn't wearing a life jacket. The man's name hasn't been released.
Body cam footage from shooting of photojournalist will be released
An Ohio sheriff's office plans to release records and body camera footage today after a deputy shot a photographer for a small news organization when he apparently mistook his camera for a weapon. The Clark County sheriff's office has put deputy Jake Shaw on administrative leave. Andy Grimm of the New Carlisle News near Dayton says he got out of his Jeep to take pictures of a traffic stop and started setting up his tripod and camera when he was shot in the side. He’s expected to be OK.
Ohio's highest court calls for free legal aid to Harvey victims
The chief justice of the Ohio Supreme Court is urging lawyers in the state to offer free legal assistance to victims of Hurricane Harvey. The request by Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor follows an emergency order from the Texas Supreme Court that allows out-of-state attorneys to temporarily practice in Texas to provide legal support to victims. Lone Star Legal Aid has cited the need for help with FEMA appeals, securing temporary housing, getting money for home repairs and dealing with insurance claims.
Lake Erie toxicity deters visitors over Labor Day weekend
A Lake Erie beach saw a drop in visitors over the Labor Day weekend as officials report high levels of toxic algae and E. coli bacteria in the water. The Toledo Blade reports the beaches at Maumee Bay State Park were placed under a public health advisory after algae testing Aug. 28. Officials say drinking water is not affected.
Eggs of invasive species found in Lake Erie tributary
Scientists say they've confirmed the discovery of grass carp eggs in a tributary of Lake Erie. The Great Lakes Fishery Commission says state, federal and university scientists analyzed eggs collected from the Sandusky River in Ohio earlier this summer. Grass carp are among four species of Asian carp that pose a threat to the Great Lakes. The commission says the number of grass carp in the area is "extremely low," which offers a chance to prevent the invasive fish from gaining a foothold.
Kasich joins Schwarzenegger's anti-gerrymandering efforts
Gov. John Kasich on Tuesday joined friend and ex-California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's effort to overhaul partisan political map-making that's helped fuel their own Republican party's rise to power. Kasich signed onto a legal brief that opposes the GOP in the momentous redistricting case being heard by the U.S. Supreme Court this fall. At issue is whether Republican lawmakers in Wisconsin drew legislative districts that favored their party and were so out of whack with the state's political breakdown that they violated Democratic voters' constitutional rights. In Ohio, the Republican-controlled map-making system resulted in the party winning nearly two more U.S. House seats and five more Ohio House seats in the last election than would have been expected in neutral circumstances, according to an AP analysis.
