Police smash windows to get men out of car

Both charged with obstructing official business

Lorain police officers broke out two car windows to get out two men who refused to acknowledge police during a traffic stop, according to a Lorain police report.

Driver Lamont Richmond, 62, of Cleveland, was charged with obstructing official business, fictitious plates and excessive window tint. Passenger Kevin Brown, 53, of Lorain, was charged with obstructing official business and resisting arrest, according to the police report.

About 8:27 p.m. July 14, an officer stopped a silver 2006 Toyota Camry at the intersection of East 36th Street and Grove Avenue, the report said.

The car had a “hand made cardboard license plate” reading “not for hire” and “private recreational conveyance,” the report said.

It appeared to be a common practice for “sovereign citizens” that do not recognize the authority of most law enforcement, the report said.

The windows were so dark an officer could not see into the vehicle, the report said.

The driver rolled down the window, but he and another man who was a passenger would not get out. Instead they rolled up the windows and stopped communicating, the report said.

Officers used a cruiser loudspeaker to ask the men to exit the car, a process that lasted 20 minutes as officers spoke “compassionately, respectfully and professionally,” the report said.

When the men would not get out, a police sergeant then shattered the rear and front driver’s side windows, the report said.

The men were removed and were not hurt in the incident. Both men were taken to the Lorain City Jail and the car was towed from the scene.