Two Northeast Ohio police officers have been indicted for an incident that occurred last year at the Buzzard's Roost bar in Hinckley, involving the alleged profiling and assault of a Eritrean man.
Medina County Prosecutor S. Forrest Thompson charged Cleveland Police Officer Donald Kopchak and former Lake County Narcotics Agent Daniel Lajack with abduction and ethnic intimidation, both felonies, and misdemeanor assault.
Both officers were assigned to federal task forces at the time and were removed after the incident.
Kopchak was placed on unpaid administrative leave following the indictment and Lajack resigned from the Lake County Narcotics Agency. He was hired by the Portage County Sheriff’s Office in January, according to news reports. The department did not respond to a request for information on his current status.
A grand jury indicted both officers Tuesday. Their arraignment is scheduled for Sept. 16.
On April 26, 2024, Kopchak and Lajack were with a group at the Buzzard's Roost. According to statements by the officers and witness statements gathered on police body cameras, Lajack and Kopchak approached the man from Eritrea, who came to the bar alone.
After questioning him about his nationality and why he was there, they eventually brought him outside. When responding officers first arrived, the man could be seen on the ground with Kopchak, who had him in a leg lock, a move Kopchak told officers he learned as a wrestler.
Lajack repeatedly told officers he believed the man was a terrorist and feared letting him go would lead to a terrorist attack.
The Eritrean man was a truck driver from Texas whose truck was parked nearby. He was spending the night before making a nearby delivery in the morning. He declined to press charges that night, despite officers at the scene telling him it was likely crimes had been committed.
The incident was investigated by several agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives — the agency Kopchak was assigned to, the Drug Enforcement Administration — Lajack’s assigned agency, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Detroit before Medina County filed charges.
If convicted of the abduction charges, Lajack and Kopchak would be barred from carrying firearms under Ohio law.
