Bond set for man accused in cop’s death

The driver accused in the fatal hit-skip of an officer kept his hands clasped in front of his face as bond was set.

CLEVELAnD » The driver accused in the fatal hitand-run of a Cleveland patrolman kept his hands clasped in front of his face Thursday while a judge set a $500,000 bond in Cleveland Municipal Court.

Israel Alvarez, 44, of Lorain, is charged with aggravated vehicular homicide and failing to stop after a fatal accident in the death of 39-year-old Patrolman David Fahey. Fahey was struck Tuesday morning while setting down flares to close lanes on Interstate 90 after an earlier fatal accident.

Alvarez did not enter a plea Thursday. It’s expected that he’ll be assigned an attorney at a hearing next week. A public defender in the courtroom on Thursday said Alvarez has five children, including a 10-dayold, and has worked as a construction laborer the last five years.

A prosecutor asked the judge for a high bond because of Alvarez’s criminal past, noting that Alvarez had just been released from probation in Lorain County in December.

According to Lorain County Common Pleas Court records, Alvarez has convictions for aggravated trafficking in drugs, drug abuse, possession of criminal tools and possession of drug abuse paraphernalia stemming from two cases that were brought forth in October and December of 1993.

Elyria Municipal Court records show Alvarez also pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated and possession of marijuana in July 1993.

Most recently, Alvarez pleaded guilty to trafficking and possession of heroin in July 2015, according to Lorain County Common Pleas records. He was ordered to serve two years of community control, but was discharged from probation as of Dec. 20, 2016.

A court affidavit filed in court Wednesday by a Cleveland police accident investigator said Alvarez disregarded emergency lights on numerous vehicles when he struck Fahey at more than 60 mph in the high-speed lane of the interstate.

Alvarez’s badly damaged car was found several hours later by a Department of Homeland Security agent in the rear driveway of Alvarez’s father’s home in Lorain. He was arrested outside the home at gunpoint.

Cleveland police officers brought Fahey’s handcuffs from the Cuyahoga County

Medical Examiner’s Office to use on Alvarez.

Fahey joined the Cleveland police department in July 2014. His Facebook page says he previously served in the U.S. Navy as an aviation boatswain mate and then worked as an emergency medical technician for a private ambulance company and a technician at the Cleveland Clinic.

Fahey’s mother and stepfather are retired Cleveland police officers. His brother joined the department in 2013.

Cleveland.com has reported that Fahey’s father was killed by a hit-andrun driver on a highway exit ramp near downtown Cleveland in 1978.

The news site reported that the 21-year-old David Fahey Sr. had stopped to help a co-worker change a tire when he was struck by a motorist who sped off.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich has ordered flags flown at half-staff at the Statehouse and Cuyahoga County buildings on Saturday to honor Fahey.