By Megan Sims
cleveland.com
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Cars took over streets throughout Cleveland late Saturday, as drivers shot pellet guns and tried to set fireworks off on I-90, police said.
During a press conference Sunday, Cleveland Police Chief Dorothy Todd said after 11 p.m. on Saturday, police received calls about cars gathering on West 25th and Lorain Avenue, West 65th Street, Steelyard Commons, East 105th and Martin Luther King Jr., Boulevard, East 93rd and Opportunity Corridor, and East 55th Street and Woodland Avenue.
Vehicles shut down I-90 westbound near West 14th, police said.
Police were tipped off to the takeovers by an Instagram post and responded to each location, Todd said. They also notified the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
“This is still terrifying. We are seeing this happen throughout the country,” Todd said. “We take this very serious and this is more than just a traffic issue. These are felony crimes.”
Street takeovers involve drivers illegally blocking roads to perform stunts like drifting, creating unpredictable and dangerous situations for police officers and the public. These events often lead to violent confrontations and accidents, posing significant risks to law enforcement and bystanders.
In a month, a new state law takes effect aiming to crack down on this practice, called “hooning,” where motorists take over a road or intersection and drive dangerously.
The law goes into effect Oct. 24 , and it bans “stunt driving,” “street takeovers” and makes it a felony to use a motor vehicle to flee from officers.
“We had received reports that somebody from Cincinnati organized a group to come up here and meet for this event to take place,” she said. “At different points throughout this, there were Airsoft guns that were fired at our members, not actual firearms.”
Drivers fired pellet guns at both police and civilians, she said. No officers were injured.
Though some of the vehicles were registered outside of Cleveland, Todd said there were local participants in the street takeover even as police tried to break up the gathering.
Todd added these incidents have largely been organized on social media with the suspects also communicating when they spot law enforcement. She said those filming the activity are also committing a crime.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the incident to identify all that are involved and will be release body camera video and images of suspects.
Hooning incidents have increased throughout Cleveland this year, including when drivers took over Playhouse Square beneath the famed chandelier.
In July, between 100 and 150 people on dirt bikes tried to cross the Detroit-Superior Bridge when police say one of them ignored an officer’s order to stop. The rider then rammed into a police officer and dragged him, authorities said.
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