From State ex rel. Standifer v. City of Cleveland, decided Thursday by the Ohio Supreme Court:
Cleveland's General Police Order 2.01.05 … requires that a UOF [Use of Force] report be prepared whenever a Cleveland police officer uses force rising to [a sufficient level] in the course of the officer's duties. UOF reports … provide a "detailed account" of the use of force, including the reason for the initial police presence, a specific description of the acts that preceded the use of force, the level of resistance encountered, and a description of the force used…. General Police Order 2.01.06 requires review of UOF reports through the chain of command to determine whether a use of force was proper….
Cid Standifer, who writes for the Cleveland Scene, sought the detailed UOF reports under Ohio public records law, but the city denied them based on the "confidential law enforcement investigatory record" (CLEIR) exception to that statute. The court of appeals agreed with the city, but the Ohio Supreme Court sided with Standifer:
