Dewine press release masthead newest




*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:*
June 18, 2026




*MEDIA CONTACTS:
*Dan Tierney: 614-644-0957
Jill Del Greco: 614-644-0957






Violent Crime Reduction Operation in Cleveland Results in 11 Felony Arrests and 8 Illegal Firearm Recoveries

(CLEVELAND, Ohio)— A violent crime reduction operation conducted in Cleveland on Wednesday resulted in 11 felony arrests and the confiscation of eight illegally possessed firearms.

This collaborative and data-driven enforcement activity in Cleveland was part of Ohio's sustained Violent Crime Reduction Initiative, which takes actionable steps toward making Ohio’s cities safer.

Agencies that participated in yesterday’s operation include the Cleveland Police Department (CPD), Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP), Ohio Investigative Unit (OIU), Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department (CCSD) and United States Marshals Service.

“These enforcement initiatives bring together trained law enforcement officials to protect the public by removing violent criminals and illegal firearms from our streets,” said Governor DeWine. “The results from Wednesday’s operation demonstrate the strength of our ongoing partnerships and our focus on holding violent offenders responsible for their crimes.”

Among the arrests during yesterday’s operation was Antoine Williams, 25, who fled from officers during a routine traffic stop with a juvenile in the vehicle. Williams was later found to be illegally in possession of a handgun.

________________________________________________________________________


Fleeing driver hits a small tree [ [link removed] ]

*VIDEO: Driver with Juvenile Passenger Attempts to Evade Law Enforcement* [ [link removed] ]


________________________________________________________________________



At approximately 5:30 p.m., CPD officers turned on their emergency overhead lights in an effort to stop a white Ford F-150 for a traffic violation in the city’s Mount Pleasant neighborhood. The suspect, now identified as Williams, failed to stop.

Shortly thereafter, OSHP Aviation began tracking the truck from the air, relaying the vehicle's direction of travel to ground units who successfully deployed a tire deflation device to slow down the vehicle. The juvenile passenger was seen exiting the vehicle but was quickly taken into custody. At approximately 5:37 p.m., Smith jumped out of the truck while it was still moving and ran. He was quickly apprehended without further incident and charged with failure to comply and improperly handling a firearm in a motor vehicle.

During a separate incident in yesterday’s operation, OSHP troopers arrested Tremaine Harris, 29, for illegally possessing a firearm.

At approximately 2:30 p.m., troopers stopped a Kia hatchback for a traffic violation. The driver, now identified as Harris, was slow to stop his vehicle but eventually complied. While talking with troopers outside his vehicle, Harris started to resist and was taken into custody.

Troopers later discovered that Harris was illegally in possession of a loaded handgun. He was charged with improperly handling a firearm in a motor vehicle and resisting arrest.

________________________________________________________________________



Illegally Possessed Firearm Seized by OSHP [ [link removed] ]

Illegally possessed, loaded handgun seized by the Ohio State Highway Patrol following a traffic stop.

________________________________________________________________________



Additionally, OIU agents, assisted by the CCSD K9 Unit, made six felony arrests and seized five illegal firearms. In one case, a 17-year-old was seen carrying a concealed firearm. Agents stopped the individual, confiscated the illegal firearm, and took him into custody. Charges are pending with the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court.

The 11 individuals arrested as part of Wednesday’s violent crime reduction operation in Cleveland were taken into custody on charges including failure to comply, improperly handling a firearm in a motor vehicle, resisting arrest, and aggravated drug possession.

Through advanced technology and intelligence sharing, these operations bring together local, state, and federal resources to stop violent criminal activity before it happens and hold accountable individuals found illegally possessing firearms. By maintaining a consistent presence in these communities, law enforcement partners continue to prioritize removing repeat violent offenders from the streets.

________________________________________________________________________



Illegally Possessed Firearms Seized by OIU and CCSD [ [link removed] ]

Five illegally possessed firearms seized by the Ohio Investigative Unit and Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Department

________________________________________________________________________



Since the beginning of 2026, law enforcement agencies have conducted more than 33 violent crime reduction operations in 21 communities across the state. Those operations resulted in more than 240 felony arrests and 130 illegal firearm recoveries.

________________________________________________________________________



*Additional Media Contact: *

*Ohio State Highway Patrol*
Lt. Brice A. Nihiser
(614) 752-2792
[email protected] 

*-30-*







________________________________________________________________________

STAY CONNECTED: Visit us on Facebook [ [link removed] ] Visit us on Twitter [ [link removed] ] Visit us on YouTube [ [link removed] ] Visit us on Instagram [ [link removed] ]    

SUBSCRIBER SERVICES:
Governor.Ohio.gov [ [link removed] ] | Unsubscribe [ [link removed] ]  |  Help [ [link removed] ]

Bookmark and Share [ [link removed] ]

 

________________________________________________________________________

This email was sent to [email protected] using govDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: Governor DeWine Communications · Riffe Center, 30th Floor, 77 South High Street · Columbus, OH 43215-6117 GovDelivery logo [ [link removed] ]

body .abe-column-block { min-height: 5px; } table.gd_combo_table img {margin-left:10px; margin-right:10px;} table.gd_combo_table div.govd_image_display img, table.gd_combo_table td.gd_combo_image_cell img {margin-left:0px; margin-right:0px;} table.govd_hr {min-width: 100%;} p, li, h1, h2, h3 { overflow-wrap: normal; word-wrap: normal; word-break: keep-all; -moz-hyphens: none; -ms-hyphens: none; -webkit-hyphens: none; hyphens: none; mso-hyphenate: none; }