COLUMBUS, Ohio — Authorities are examining at least two handguns in their investigation of the shooting last month of undercover Cleveland police Det. James Skernivitz, 53, and a man said to be his informant, a collection of documents released by the city shows.
The file includes recordings of two 911 calls that offer a glimpse of the immediate aftermath of the shooting, which authorities have described as an ambush of the two men who were in an unmarked police vehicle behind Rose’s Discount store in the city’s Stockyard neighborhood. Skernivitz was conducting an unspecified undercover operation.
One of the callers told dispatch he was seeing a number of people standing around Skernivitz’s vehicle, trying to figure out what happened. The car crashed into a playground just before 10 p.m. on Sept. 3 after Skernivitz and the other victim, Scott Dingess, 50, were shot.
The 911 call recording captures the man ask of another witness near the scene, “Is there somebody in there?”
Moments later, the caller says, “I got somebody that says there’s two people that are dead.” He adds that another car just rolled up next to the vehicle.
Sirens are heard on the recording as responders neared the scene. The caller explains that people started to leave the area as the sirens approached.
“All these cars are bugging out now,” the caller said.
The second caller reported hearing eight shots followed by a pause that sounded like the shooter was changing the magazine, followed be eight more shots.
Five people have been arrested in connection to the killing. Three teenage males, David McDaniel, 18, and two juveniles ages 15 and 17 face aggravated murder charges.
David McDaniel.
McDaniel’s indictment says the three teenage suspects ran from the scene and includes firearm specifications that say McDaniel brandished a weapon during the killing.
The county’s lead juvenile prosecutor Brett Kyker has submitted motions to a judge arguing the juveniles should be charged as adults.
Antonio Darby, 27, and Brittany Cremeans, 24, were arraigned Thursday on charges of tampering with evidence and lying to authorities for their alleged role in disposing of suspected weapons. They both pleaded not guilty and posted bond, which was set at $5,000.
Authorities have not released much of a narrative of what happened on the night of Sept. 3, beyond a brief statement of facts that came in a statement from Det. David Borden.
“The suspect David McDaniel and two other juvenile suspects approached the victim PO James Skernivitz and victim Scott Dingess behind Rose’s store,” Borden’s statement reads. “The suspect David McDaniel and two other suspects shot and killed both PO Skernivitz and Scott Dingess during an attempted robbery of the victims.”
The new files include a “supplement narrative” in a partially redacted crime report, which shows the day after the shooting authorities conducted test fires of two recovered weapons, which were both Taurus 9mm semiautomatic handguns, but different models.
The report shows McDaniel listed as having resisted arrest and not under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Dispatch logs show responding units initially went to the wrong location and when a 911 caller gave a different address for the crash. Further 911 calls quickly corrected the location.
Snapshot of the footage.
The file of documents was released in response to requests from Spectrum and other outlets. Further records requests, including one for a narrative from authorities, have been denied or not fulfilled.
McDaniel’s attorneys have filed requests of the case’s prosecutors for more information as to the specific allegations against their client. One motion states the indictment of their client was “vague and indefinite,” preventing them from mounting an intelligible defense at the present time.
The defense is seeking information regarding the location and time of the offense, the precise nature of the allegations, as well as any documents related to statements, testimony, evidence or examinations that prosecutors intend to use against their client.
Officers responded to the scene unaware the shooting involved a police officer, dispatch audio recordings show. A few minutes after police arrived, they reported to dispatch an on-duty officer had been shot and two men were unconscious.
Police scanner audio captures the officers calling for EMS to step it up while they performed CPR. Dingess and Skernivitz were rushed to MetroHealth Hospital, where they were pronounced dead.
Skernivitz was assigned to a gang unit. At the time of death, he was working undercover as part of the Justice Department’s anti-crime task force “Operation Legend,” authorities said.
A 25-year veteran of the Cleveland Police Department, Skernivitz was sworn in to work on the task force the day before his death, according to FBI Special Agent Vicki Anderson.
Operation Legend, a violent crime fighting initiative of Attorney General William P. Barr, launched in Kansas City on July 8 and was expanded to five other cities including Cleveland later in the month. The operation pairs federal agents with local law enforcement agencies, tooling officers with heightened surveillance capabilities to aggressively pursue violent criminals.
