Grandmother of 19-year-old killed by CPD cruiser calls for change in protocol

It's been three days since 19-year-old Amir Jordan was killed after a Cincinnati Police officer hit him with his cruiser.

The crash occurred at approximately 5:56 p.m. in the area of Este and Chickering Avenues in Spring Grove Village, police said.

FOP President Ken Kober said the officer was responding to reports of a person shot near Spring Grove Village when the officer hit Jordan as he was attempting to cross the street in front of a Metro bus. Jordan was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center where he later died.

Jordan's grandmother, Paula McClendon, spoke to WCPO just as she was preparing to start making funeral arrangements.

"My grandson was like my best friend," McClendon said. "At night he would just come in our room and knock on our door; [asking] can I have some chips and everything. It was always just to check on us. And I lay there anticipating a knock on the door. I want to hear that knock from Amir. So, this is hard for me. It's hard for all of us."

McClendon says Jordan, a Roselawn resident, was in the area to visit his father. CPD maintains the officer while responding to a nearby call was, "going lights and sirens which is common for an emergency situation," Kober told WCPO.

As the investigation continues, McClendon say her family has been left in the dark about a lot of the details.

"Day three," McClendon said. "I have not heard anything from any city official, any police officer."

McClendon told WCPO she will remember the 19-year-old she helped raise as a loving, independent young man. Jordan was taking up karate and McClendon says he made it his mission to protect her.

“He was figuring out his own way of doing things and he wanted to do it in his own manner," McClendon said.

McClendon told WCPO that in wake of her grandson's death she wants to see more policy reforms for police emergency response protocols.

“It still has to be some respect for the citizens of that community and that there should be safeguards on how fast police travel through our neighborhoods," McClendon said.

Police said they are treating the investigation like "any other" traffic crash. Any witnesses to the crash are asked to contact CPD's Traffic Unit at 513-352-2514.

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