Families of fatal Cleveland pursuit crash victims file civil lawsuits

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WJW) -- The families of two innocent bystanders killed during separate police chases last year filed civil lawsuits against the Cuyahoga County sheriff and the deputies involved in the pursuits. Attorney Stanley Jackson and family members of Tamya Westmoreland and Sharday Elder held a news conference Monday morning to demand accountability and the disbandment of the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office Downtown Safety Patrol. Westmoreland lost her life in a March 2025 crash at I-90 and Eddy Road when a suspect fleeing police at high speeds crashed into her. Months later in August, Elder was killed at a downtown stoplight when a fleeing suspect slammed into her vehicle. "These families are forever linked by the tragic death of their loved ones," Jackson said. The families are hoping for consequences for the decision-makers behind the chases and allowing them to continue, while missing their loved ones. "I want to hold them accountable — the sheriffs and the supervisors — for not stopping this chase," said Raymond Elder’s, the 16-year-old son of Sharday Elder. "I have two small children and now I drive around daily scared of a police chase," Dymond Westmoreland, the daughter of Tamyra Westmoreland said. The lawsuits name Cuyahoga County Sheriff Harold Pretel, the deputies involved, and the supervisors who authorized the pursuits. While Pretel announced a policy change in October to limit chases to violent felony offenders, the families argue the move is insufficient. Jackson made it clear they are hoping for a  total disbandment of the Downtown Safety Patrol. A spokesperson for Cuyahoga County said the office does not comment on pending litigation.