CLEVELAND – Prosecutors say it’s their mission to make sure an Ohio cop “never wears the badge of a police officer again” after the 34-year-old was arrested Tuesday on accusations he tried to kidnap a 12-year-old girl at a school bus stop — and then filmed himself urinating on her.
Soloman Nhiwatiwa, a Cleveland officer, was taken into custody in the incident, which was reported last Friday, according to a police department news release.
Nhiwatiwa is accused of driving up to the girl while in Euclid and asked her if she needed a ride to school, Cleveland.com reported. The girl said no, and refused to get in the vehicle, reportedly prompting Nhiwatiwa to drive away.
However, about a minute later, prosecutors allege Nhiwatiwa came back—this time exposing himself to the girl and then filming himself urinating on her before leaving the scene again.
The child’s mother reported the incident to Euclid police, while a neighbor reported Nhiwatiwa to authorities after noticing a suspicious person looking into people’s cars.
Nhiwatiwa turned himself in to police on Tuesday.
“He will be held accountable,” Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley said of the incident, according to Cleveland.com. “It’s my office’s mission to ensure he never wears the badge of a police officer again.”
Nhiwatiwa, who joined the police department in 2014, was indicted by a grand jury Wednesday and faces charges of attempted kidnapping, assault, endangering children, public indecency, and child enticement.
Consequently, he was relieved of duty with the Cleveland police and will be suspended without pay pending the outcome of the criminal case.
Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association Jeff Follmer had no comment on the case.
