NORTH OLMSTED, Ohio (WJW) — An off-duty Cleveland police officer is suspected of driving drunk and crashing into a pizza shop along Lorain Road early Wednesday.
Officers arrived at Romeo’s Pizza, 28931 Lorain Road, just before 3 a.m., to find a sedan had crashed through the window on the side of the building and its driver was still inside with the car still in gear, according to a police report.
The driver, later identified as Cleveland police officer Gary Kane II, indicated he was OK and that he wasn’t carrying firearms, but said little else to police.
Body-worn camera footage shows officers asking Kane multiple times to turn off the vehicle, after which he turned on the windshield wipers, which tossed glass from the shattered window onto the ground. He then turned the car off and surrendered his keys.
Officers helped Kane crawl out the passenger-side door, since the driver’s side door became blocked after the crash. That’s when one officer smelled alcohol and noted his glossy eyes.
When asked what happened or how he got there, Kane declined to answer, simply shaking his head. When asked if he would answer questions, he said, “No.” He also declined a field sobriety test and was arrested on suspicion of driving drunk.
After being read his Miranda rights, Kane also declined to acknowledge that he understood. He later refused to submit to a blood test and was transported to a hospital for the test.
Officers cited Kane for misdemeanor counts of operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs and failure to control. He’s due in the North Olmsted Mayor’s Court on Thursday, Aug. 21.
On the body camera video, officers could be heard groaning when an officer found Kane’s badge in his wallet. Video shows they also found his Cleveland police uniform in the back seat of the car.
Kane was off-duty at the time of his arrest, a Cleveland police spokesperson told FOX 8 News.
Kane is expected to be on “restricted duty” while his case is pending, the spokesperson said. North Olmsted police will investigate Kane’s charges, as a Cleveland police internal affairs unit stays informed on developments.
Kane joined the Cleveland police division in December 2015 and was most recently a patrolman in the Fifth District, according to the spokesperson.
Justin Dennis
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