Searchers recover man’s body in river
Michael Baker | The Chronicle-Telegram
ELYRIA — The body of a man who plunged into the Black River on Saturday night after a foot pursuit by police was found early Sunday afternoon.
Elyria firefighters pulled the body of Leonard Bryant, 26, from the river just north of the Black River ford in Cascade Park about 1 p.m. Sunday, assistant fire Chief Tim Mitchell said.
The chase that led to Bryant’s drowning began when two officers were called to a Forest Street home about 9:15 p.m. Saturday to investigate a report of a fight between a man and a woman.
When Bryant, who was speaking with a woman outside the front door, saw the two officers approach, he pushed the woman aside, ran through the house and out the back door, according to a police report. The officers followed Bryant’s footprints through Cascade Park to the riverbank, the report stated.
At one point, officers saw Bryant emerge from the river and immediately re-enter it, the report stated. The officers saw two boots and Bryant’s black hat floating in the water when he had re-entered the river, which was an estimated 2 feet above flood stage, but could not see Bryant, according to police.
Police called the fire department to help search until late in the night, but Bryant couldn’t be found, and the search was suspended.
Beginning about 8 a.m. Sunday, three scuba teams — two from Elyria and one from Wellington — resumed the search, tracing the river’s western edge downstream from where Bryant was seen re-entering the water.
At about noon, Elyria police received a call that Bryant’s floating body had been seen in Cascade Park, according to Mitchell.
Lorain County Coroner Paul Matus ruled Bryant’s death an accidental drowning. The fast-moving currents likely trapped him, Matus said, and the cold waters probably caused Bryant to lose consciousness in less than five minutes.
“With the water so cold, there is no way to defend yourself,” Matus said.
Bryant was originally from Elyria but was living in Cleveland, said his sister, Tinal Phillips. Bryant, who went by the name Huey, according to a neighbor, was visiting over the weekend.
Phillips said she had spoken with Bryant shortly before the pursuit and that nothing seemed troubling.
“He was fine,” she said. “He was just out in the neighborhood. He must have just panicked when he saw the police and jumped in the river.”
Phillips said that Bryant had had problems with the law recently. Court records show Bryant had been indicted on counts of domestic violence, drug possession, attempted rape and assault on a police officer over the past eight years.
“He had his problems with the law,” Phillips said, “but he was a good father and a kind man. He was always trying to do good by everyone.”
Contact Michael Baker at 329-7128 or mbaker@chroniclet.com.
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Filed by Michael Baker | The Chronicle-Telegram March 16th, 2008 in Top Stories. Popularity: 9% |
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Comments
Comment from
aterryw
March 17, 2008, 7:59 am
Sad story for his family, children, wonder what the outcome would have been if he didn’t run?
Comment from
Jack Miller
March 18, 2008, 10:37 am
This is an another example of Darwin cleaning out the gene pool. Every time one of these idiots are killed they are always upstanding and fine citizens. BUT, he had problems with the law. Here is a list of his problems; DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 2006, POSSESSION OF DRUGS-COCAINE and DRUG PARAPHERNALIA 2000, ASSAULT ON A POLICE OFFICER 2001, and ATTEMPTED RAPE 2003. “He was always trying to do good by everyone.” Yeah, tell me another one.
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