By Adam Ferrise
Advance Ohio Media
CLEVELAND, Ohio — A 16-year veteran Cuyahoga County Jail corrections officer was fired Friday in connection with the mistaken release of an inmate suspected of burglary.
Kathleen Belle was fired because of her role in the July 13 release of Tyrieon Harris, according to county records. Harris is one of three inmates released by mistake from the jail in a three-month span.
Ohio Police Benevolent Association attorney Adam Chaloupka said the union will fight the firing.
Chaloupka said Belle was a “go-to” employee in the booking area and had come the day of the mistaken release on her day off to help with the understaffed jail.
He said the county officials resolved the investigation too quick and that officials failed to find a real cause for Harris’ release. Chaloupka said county officials were looking for someone to blame.
“I don’t believe they did a thorough investigation,” he said. “They’re basically looking for scapegoats. We’re going to arbitrate this. They don’t have the evidence to substantiate this.”
Chaloupka also said Belle’s supervisor is required to and did sign off on Harris’ release. He said no supervisor has been disciplined for the incident.
Cuyahoga County spokeswoman Mary Louise Madigan said the incident is still under investigation and that others could ultimately be disciplined.
Harris was supposed to be held in the Cuyahoga County Jail in lieu of $25,000 stemming from a burglary charge. He never posted bond in that case.
Jail officials released Harris after a judge gave him a personal bond for an unrelated 2016 traffic case. Court records make clear that the judge specified that Harris was supposed to remain in custody on the higher bond in the more serious case.
Belle did not notice that the court case number of the 2016 traffic case did not match up with case number for the burglary charge, according to the letter notifying Belle of her firing.
Harris was arrested July 10 by Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority Police. He is accused of breaking into his ex-girlfriend’s home on Woodland Avenue twice in two hours, according to court records.
He is also facing charges that accuse him of carjacking the same woman on Feb. 12. He dragged the woman and their child from her SUV and shoved her to the ground, according to court records. He grabbed her car keys and sped off in her SUV, court records say.
Ten days later, he led North Randall police on a high-speed chase, the records say. Harris posted bond $15,000 in that case on March 21.
Two other inmates have been released from the jail, one accused of murder and another accused of committing armed robbery as part Cleveland’s Rack Gang.
©2019 Advance Ohio Media, Cleveland