The
Glenville Shootout was a series of events of violent acts that occurred in the
GlenvilleGlenville is a neighborhood in the Eastern section of Cleveland, Ohio. Until the 1940s Glenville was predominantly Jewish. Since then, however, there has been a shift and today Glenville is predominantly African-American...
section of
Cleveland, OhioCleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The municipality is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately 60 miles west of the Pennsylvania border...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, from the dates of July 23—July 28, 1968. The violent acts resulted in the deaths of seven people, and injuries of fifteen others.
The shootout began on the evening of July 23, 1968 in the eastern section of the
GlenvilleGlenville is a neighborhood in the Eastern section of Cleveland, Ohio. Until the 1940s Glenville was predominantly Jewish. Since then, however, there has been a shift and today Glenville is predominantly African-American...
neighborhood when two civilian tow truck drivers, wearing uniforms similar to police uniforms, were shot in an ambush by heavily armed snipers while checking an abandoned car.
The
Glenville Shootout was a series of events of violent acts that occurred in the
GlenvilleGlenville is a neighborhood in the Eastern section of Cleveland, Ohio. Until the 1940s Glenville was predominantly Jewish. Since then, however, there has been a shift and today Glenville is predominantly African-American...
section of
Cleveland, OhioCleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The municipality is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately 60 miles west of the Pennsylvania border...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, from the dates of July 23—July 28, 1968. The violent acts resulted in the deaths of seven people, and injuries of fifteen others.
The shootouts
The shootout began on the evening of July 23, 1968 in the eastern section of the
GlenvilleGlenville is a neighborhood in the Eastern section of Cleveland, Ohio. Until the 1940s Glenville was predominantly Jewish. Since then, however, there has been a shift and today Glenville is predominantly African-American...
neighborhood when two civilian tow truck drivers, wearing uniforms similar to police uniforms, were shot in an ambush by heavily armed snipers while checking an abandoned car. Cleveland police officers were also watching
Fred "Ahmed" EvansFred "Ahmed" Evans was an American radical militant who helped plan and execute the Glenville Shootout, a serious of violent events which stretched from July 23—July 28, 1968....
and his radical militant group, who were suspected of purchasing illegal weapons. The shootout attracted a large crowd that was mostly black, young, and "hostile". When it became clear that the police were ill-equipped to handle the situation, Mayor
Carl B. StokesCarl Burton Stokes was an American politician of the Democratic party who served as the 51st mayor of Cleveland, Ohio. Elected on November 7, 1967, but took office on Jan 1, 1968, he was tied to be the first African American mayor of a major U.S. city with Mayor Richard G. Hatcher of Gary,...
called in the
National GuardThe National Guard of the United States is a reserve military force composed of state National Guard militia members or units under federally recognized active or inactive armed force service for the United States...
. Before the night was over, seven were dead (three of the seven were Cleveland Police officers) and fifteen were wounded.
Removal of white police officers
The following day, Stokes decided to remove all the White police officers from Glenville stationing only
African AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa. In the United States, the terms are generally used for Americans with at least partial Sub-Saharan African ancestry...
police officers and community leaders in the predominantly black community, to prevent further rioting and ease tensions in the area. It was the first event in American history in which only
African AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa. In the United States, the terms are generally used for Americans with at least partial Sub-Saharan African ancestry...
police officers were sent in to deal with a violent riot or confrontation. While the police and community leaders prevented any more deaths from occurring, there was continued
lootingLooting , to rob, sacking, plundering, despoiling, or pillaging is the indiscriminate taking of goods by force as part of a military or political victory, or during a catastrophe or riot, such as during war, natural disaster, or rioting...
and
arsonArson is the crime of deliberately and maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires caused by lightning for example. The study of the causes is the subject of fire investigation...
throughout the six-square-mile area. On July 25, more police officers and the National Guard entered Glenville and by July 28, order was restored.
Legal issues and imprisonment
Evans surrendered to police on the morning of July 24. He was tried and found guilty of murder and sentenced to death in the electric chair. During his trial, it was discovered that Evans had received some $6,000 in funds from
Cleveland: Now!Cleveland: Now! was a public and private funding program for the rehabilitation of neighborhoods in Cleveland, Ohio.Former Mayor Carl B. Stokes first announced the program on May 1, 1968. Local businessmen agreed to cooperate with the city in a fundraising program to fight the problem of...
, a program Mayor Stokes had initiated to help revitalize Cleveland neighborhoods. Donations for the program subsequently plummeted. Despite this, however, Stokes managed to win reelection for a second term as the city's mayor.