‘This is still terrifying’: Police respond to multiple citywide, social media-organized ‘street takeovers’

CLEVELAND, Ohio ( WOIO /Gray News) - Police in Cleveland said they responded to several "street takeovers" all across the city Saturday night.

According to Police Chief Dorothy Todd, the takeovers involved individuals shutting down traffic, shooting off fireworks, attempting to light fires and shooting at officers with pellet guns.

Todd said the calls came in for multiple locations of vehicles gathering and blocking traffic after 11 p.m.

Some of the locations included:

West 25th Street and Lorain

Roses Plaza on West 65th Street

Steelyard Commons

East 105th Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive

East 93rd Street and Opportunity Corridor

East 55th and Woodland Avenue

I-90 West Freeway near West 14th Street

Todd said I-90 had been shut down by the suspects who blocked traffic, shot off fireworks and tried to light fires.

She said they were unsuccessful at lighting the fires because of the wet roadways.

Melvyn Beck, a party bus driver, said his bus was stopped during the I-90 incident. He also said he filmed from inside the vehicle as a masked individual clung to his window.

Beck said his door was also defaced, and he called 911 20 times Saturday night.

Fortunately, no one on the bus was harmed.

Officials said at least one officer was hit by a pellet gun. Some residents also reported firearms that were pointed at them.

However, Todd said there were no serious injuries.

"But this is still terrifying," she said.

The Cleveland Police Department said an Instagram post Saturday evening warned of these events, which were allegedly organized by someone from Cincinnati.

Police said they were monitoring the activity to see if the incidents would happen.

"Unfortunately, they did show up in the area," Todd said.

The vehicles seen in the areas had license plates suggesting they were both local and from out of town.

These sort of incidents have occurred in a number of major cities, according to Todd. She said this may have been a part of a social media trend.

"This is more than a traffic issue. These are felony crimes," Todd said.

Officials said they will continue to work to identify these involved individuals.