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The Hill
15 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hill
GOP congressman said he was run off the road by ‘deranged man' on the way to work
Ohio Republican Rep. Max Miller said on Thursday he was run off the road by a 'deranged man' who waved a Palestinian flag in his direction and lobbed death threats before driving away. Miller recounted the incident in a video posted to the social media platform X and pledged to hold the individual involved accountable, saying, 'I will not hide in the face of this blatant antisemitic violence.' 'As I was driving to work, some unhinged, deranged man decided to lay on his horn and run me off the road, when he couldn't get my attention, to show me a Palestinian flag, not to mention death to Israel, death to me — that he wanted to kill me and my family,' Miller said in the video. The Ohio lawmaker did not specify whether the death threats were made verbally or otherwise. Miller said he submitted police reports to the local police and to the U.S. Capitol Police. 'You have an issue? Take it to our office. You want to run me off the road? That's a different story,' Miller said in the video. 'We know who you are, young man, and the police are going to be paying you a visit, and I hope what you did this morning is worth it to you and anyone else who plans on doing this to anybody within our district, state or country,' he added. Rocky River Police Department confirmed that Miller called the station Thursday morning to 'report a road rage incident' and came to the station at 2 p.m. to give a written statement. The spokesperson said the congressman was not able to wait to speak with officers in the morning. Capitol Police was also notified, the spokesperson said, and will be handling the investigation. The Hill has contacted Capitol Police for comment.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Yahoo
Ex-Rocky River officer charged with using databases to spy on students, others: ‘Absolute concern'
ROCKY RIVER, Ohio (WJW) – A former Rocky River police officer has been indicted by a Cuyahoga County grand jury on charges that he used police databases to conduct searches that had no legitimate law enforcement purpose. Between 2013 and 2023, Michael Bernhardt served as a school resource officer at Rocky River High School, where he was accused two years ago of having inappropriate relationships with female students. According to the indictment, Bernhardt is accused of using his access to two law enforcement databases to electronically spy on a wide range of people. 'Students at the high school, they were his two ex-wives and their families, including one of the new husbands. In his own family, his children, his parents. In addition, Rocky River police officers and also teachers at the school, mostly female teachers, as well as the school principal and assistant principal,' said Assistant Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Mary Grace Tokmenko, who serves in the economic crimes and public corruption unit. New measles cases in Ashtabula, Knox counties The 54-year-old Bernhardt is now facing 11 counts of the unauthorized use of the Ohio Law Enforcement Gateway, one count of the unauthorized use of the Law Enforcement Automated Database System (LEADS) and one count of possessing criminal tools. Prosecutors said the databases contain personal and confidential information, and that is why there are very strict rules on when police can use them. 'Anything from your social security number, your address, different cars that are registered to you. It also has your picture because every time you get your driver's license picture, it also feeds into those databases,' said Tokmenko. Investigators said while he was working at Rocky River High School, Bernhardt pursued 'obsessive and inappropriate relationships with students,' and many of his computer searches between 2013 and 2023 involved young girls. 'During that time period, he did have access to their information, he could have figured out where they live, what their birthdays were,' said Tokmenko. In 2023, Bernhardt was the focus of a separate investigation into his conduct with students, but an independent prosecutor found there was insufficient evidence to file charges. However, when Bernhardt left the police force in April,2024, he remained under a cloud of suspicion that ultimately led to this week's indictment. 'This happened as a result of an investigation conducted by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation after the Rocky River Police Department asked them to investigate reports of inappropriate relationships that Mike Bernhardt was alleged to have had with high school students in his role as a school resource officer,' Rocky River Police Chief George Lichman said. Local nurse indicted after patient went missing and later died: I-Team BCI agents are now asking anyone who may have additional information about Bernhardt or his conduct with students to contact state investigators at 855-BCI-OHIO or 855-224-6446. 'I think it's an absolute concern for all parents of students who were going through the school during this time period and they should talk to their kids and ask them if there were any issues there,' said Tokmenko. If convicted, Bernhardt could face up to one year in prison on each count. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
