Charges possible in alleged detainment incident at Hinckley bar

by Melissa Martin

The Medina County Prosecutor’s Office is considering filing state charges stemming from a 2024 incident in which off-duty officers allegedly detained a man at the Buzzard’s Roost Tavern, located at the intersection of Center Road and W. 130th Street.

Medina County Prosecutor Forrest Thompson said once his office obtains the files from the FBI, a full review will be underway to determine whether charges against the Lake County Narcotics Officer Daniel Lajack and Cleveland Police Officer Donald Kopchak are warranted. Both men were assigned to federal task forces at the time of the incident. 

In the months since, several township residents have voiced their concern regarding the matter, which took place around 11:30 p.m. on April 25, 2024. Video of the incident surfaced online approximately two months later.

According to Brunswick officers, who responded to the incident, police body camera footage shows police speaking with two off-duty officers. One agent allegedly told Brunswick Police they spoke with a patron at the bar, who they claimed was in the United States illegally. 

One of the ATF officers is said to have grabbed the bar patron and held him to the ground until Brunswick police arrived. Body camera footage shows the suspect being held as Brunswick police enter the establishment.

When speaking to Brunswick police, the ATF officer makes multiple statements alleging the suspect could “blow up the mall.” The federal officer also referred to the suspect as a “terrorist.”

Police determined the suspect, who presented valid identification from Texas, is a refugee from Eritrea who has legally lived in the United States for more than 14 years. 
Eritrea is a country located near Ethiopia in East Africa.

The man is employed as a truck driver and was at the bar that night because he had a delivery scheduled for the Aldi warehouse, located across the street from the establishment, a few days later. He told police he parked his semi in the Aldi parking lot and stopped for a drink at the bar before checking into a nearby hotel.The case is under investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Eastern District of Michigan, as well as the FBI. 

Photo caption: The Buzzard’s Roost was the site of an alleged unlawful detainment of a truck driver in April 2024. Photo by Melissa Martin.