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Authorities link man, woman to slaying of off-duty Cleveland police officer in carjacking

The off-duty officer, 25-year-old Shane Bartek, was shot twice as he attempted to fight off the attack, sources said

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By Adam Ferrise
cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Authorities have arrested two people linked to the slaying of Shane Bartek, a 25-year-old, off-duty Cleveland police officer who was fatally shot during an apparent carjacking Friday night.

An 18-year-old woman from Garfield Heights is being held on suspicion of aggravated murder, while a 28-year-old man from Bedford Heights is being held on allegations of receiving stolen property. Other charges are expected to be filed.

Police identified the officer as Bartek on Saturday afternoon. Bartek, a Cleveland resident, was hired in August 2019, and he worked as a patrolman in the Fifth District, which makes up the northeast corner of the city.

[RELATED: Prosecutor: Woman admitted shooting off-duty Cleveland cop]

The shooting took place about 6 p.m. in the 4300 block of Rocky River Drive, near Fairway Avenue, in the city’s Kamm’s Corners neighborhood on the West Side.

A person with a gun approached Bartek in the parking lot of an apartment building, police said. A struggle began, and Bartek was shot twice in the back. The person then fled in Bartek’s car.

Bartek was taken to Fairview Hospital, where he died.

At some point, a police officer spotted the vehicle. Officers from several departments then chased the car until they stopped it at East 260th Street and Lakeshore Boulevard in Euclid, law enforcement sources said. Cleveland police have not revealed the route of the chase.

The 28-year-old who is being held on suspicion of receiving stolen property was taken into custody. He has been convicted seven times in the past four years of theft-related offenses involving cars, according to interviews and Cuyahoga County court records.

The woman has been under investigation for her role in past robberies, law enforcement officials said.

Their names will be released once they are charged.

Cleveland police said investigators have used search warrants to obtain more information in the case. Suburban departments also are pursuing charges in the case.

Wayne Drummond, who will become the interim police chief as Mayor-Elect Justin Bibb takes office next week, told reporters late Friday that “my heart is aching for his family, for our officers. It’s senseless. It just doesn’t make sense.”

Said Bibb on Twitter on Saturday: “We offer sincere condolences to Officer Shane Bartek, his family and the entire Cleveland Division of Police. These types of senseless crimes won’t be tolerated. Together, we will fight for a safer city & support law enforcement in their efforts to keep our neighborhoods secure.”

The shooting came days after a 27-year-old man was robbed at gunpoint on Christmas near the place where Bartek was shot and killed, according to city records.

“These carjackers have declared war on our community, and this community and law enforcement need to come together to put an end to this violence,” Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley said. “These carjackings are happening almost everyday throughout this county.”

The slaying is the second fatal shooting of a Cleveland police officer in less than two years. On Sept. 3, 2020, Detective James Skernivitz was shot and killed during an undercover drug investigation. A police informant, Scott Dingess, was also killed in the shooting.

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