Heights crowd steps up for Fisher : Cleveland IMC (((i)))

Heights crowd steps up for Fisher

Thursday, February 09, 2006
By Jeff Sikorovsky
The Sun Press

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS — About 45 people, many wearing 'Bush Step Down' lapel stickers, filled council chambers Monday night at City Hall in support of political activist Carol Fisher.

Fisher claims police officers 'brutalized' her one sunny afternoon last month while she was hanging posters on utility poles along Lee Road to promote upcoming protests and demonstrations organized by the 'World Can't Wait: Drive the Bush Regime Out' movement.

Arresting officers claim she was combative Jan. 28 when they told her to stop posting her signs on the polls, which is illegal here. Fisher claims she was compliant and the officers had no right to touch her.

'All I was doing was responding to the pain and the aggression he (the officer) was bringing down on me,' she said Monday. 'I'm sorry. I did nothing wrong.'

A Cuyahoga County grand jury, however, has charged Fisher with two fourth-degree felony counts of assault on a police officer. Her arraignment is set for Feb. 26. (note: the arraignment is actually Thursday, Feb 16).

Fisher, a 53-year-old cancer survivor, has said arresting officers at the scene threw her up against a shop window, pushed her to the ground and one
stuck his knee in her back while trying to place her in handcuffs. Fisher also claims the officer made abusive statements toward her about her
canvassing effort.

Witnesses Police say they have four witnesses that claim Fisher was the aggressor and that the arresting officers did nothing wrong.

But Monday, the people who know Fisher the best spoke up for a little more than hour at the start of City Council's regular meeting.

Seven friends and supporters from the group vented their anger and frustration over the officers' treatment of Fisher. Some also called for increased oversight and accountability of the police department.

Many of the crowd's emotion-charged comments also touched on larger issues, such as freedom of speech, the war on terror, the Patriot Act, physical abuse, and the treatment of women in society.

Carol Steiner, a 21-year resident who lives on Somerton Road, said, 'Police brutality is a major issue in this country and it's a major issue in Cleveland Heights, and it has been for some time.

'So why do you have to stick with those cops?' she asked council. 'You better not let the police speak for this city.'

Anger But when Mayor Edward Kelley read council's prepared official statement, the room erupted into a flurry of angry outbursts. His remarks were based on briefings with police Chief Martin Lentz, who did not attend the meeting.

Kelley said accounts of the incident that are being circulated on the Internet contain 'many inaccuracies and inflammatory comments' about the police department.

He said the posters' content had nothing to do with enforcement of the city's zoning code and general offenses code regulations, which have been on the books since 1970 and 1943, respectively.

'The police were following procedure by informing the woman, three separate times, that the posters should not be put up,' he read.

'Witnesses at the scene reported that the woman became out of control and physical with the police officers. The police then followed proper procedure in getting the situation under control,' he read.

'There is no evidence to suggest that the Cleveland Heights police officers involved acted improperly.'

'All lies' 'Bullsh..!!' one woman yelled. 'This is all lies! Why do you lie? That's outrageous. This happens all the time. You just want to whitewash it. This is outrageous.'

'Shame on all of you,' another man said. 'You should be ashamed of yourselves.'

'It's completely disingenuous,' another said.

The boisterous crowd then stood up and filed out into the atrium, yelling words of protest as the regular meeting continued. City Manager Robert C. Downey — who doubles as the city's safety director — said the case is now in the hands of Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office, and he referred all questions to Lentz.

Downey said there is no internal investigation into the actions of the police officers. 'The court has to go through its process first,' he said.

Lentz would not comment on the case Tuesday and directed all inquiries to assistant prosecuting attorney David Zimmerman. The Sun Press called Zimmerman, but he did not return the call prior to deadline Tuesday night.

City Law Director John Gibbons said, as of Monday night there had been no civil lawsuits filed against the city on Fisher's behalf, though one of the speakers said lawyers from around the country were lining up to do so.

A tape of the city council meeting is being broadcast daily (except Monday) at 2 a.m., 8 a.m., 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. on the local cable channel 23.

Cleveland Indy Media Center