CLEVELAND — Cleveland City Council member Kris Harsh wants a sit-down with Parma public safety officials after two crashes happened in his ward, right where Parma and Cleveland meet.

What You Need To Know

  • Two deadly crashes in a matter of days have prompted Cleveland city officials to request a meeting with Parmas safety officials

  • Cleveland City Councilman Kris Harsh said the two parties have agreed to meet about their chase policies

  • Spectrum News reviewed Parma and Cleveland police's pursuit policies

“I think in both these cases, the Parma police might have been entirely in the right," Harsh said. 

Parma police dash and body camera footage shows a chase on August 24th where an officer attempted to chase a suspect going 100 miles an hour. By the time officers reached the vehicle, it was in Cleveland, and was spewing flames.

One person died from the crash.

Two days later, ODOT video shows a different car fleeing from Parma police. The car got on 176 but was heading in the wrong direction, causing a head on crash that killed two people. 

“We’re not asking the police not to do their job," Harsh said. "The question only becomes when police response could further endanger the public, and that’s what we want to make sure we’re not doing, so that’s the conversation we’re gonna have.”

Harsh said the two parties have agreed to meet. A spokesperson for the city of Parma sent Spectrum News a statement from the city’s Safety Director, saying that the pursuits were in line with the department’s policy.

“We welcome such a policy discussion with the City of Cleveland administration, one that is based on facts, data and best practices," Parma Safety Director Bob Coury said in the statement. "Such a discussion can only serve to enhance policy and our working relationship.”

Parma police’s chase policy states officers must consider several factors before starting a chase, including the likelihood of catching the suspect and the seriousness of the offense committed. The policy also states officers should call off a pursuit if the suspect is driving the wrong way on a divided highway.

After watching the footage of these crashes. Harsh said he looks forward to the chat.

“We definitely want them to be able to call it into Cleveland and make sure that we’re communicating across borders," Harsh said. 

Harsh said a way to prevent these kinds of crashes is for drivers to follow the rules of the road and not drive erratically.