Former Lakewood School Board Member Charged With Felonious Assault of Police Officer

A prominent Lakewood businessman and former Lakewood school board member is facing three felony charges after an incident Tuesday night in downtown Cleveland.

Charles Geiger III, 59, is accused of striking a Cleveland police officer with his vehicle at 1450 Chester Ave. and driving away.

Geiger — a former school board member who owns and sits on the board of directors for First Federal of Lakewood — was arrested early Wednesday morning at his Kenneth Avenue home.

He was charged with felonious assault, a fourth-degree felony; obstructing justice, a fifth-degree felony; failure to comply with the order of a police officer, a first-degree misdemeanor; and possessing criminal tools, a fifth-degree felony.

His wife, Patricia, was charged with obstructing justice, but information about her case was unavailable in the court’s database.

Charles Geiger — a 22-year member of the — could not be reached for comment late Friday.

In a police report, Cleveland police officer Sgt. Tony Gorsek, said he was directing traffic at a Chester Avenue parking garage, and told a driver — who he later claimed to be Charles Geiger — to turn east out of the garage.

The driver did so, but then immediately made an illegal U-turn, Gorsek said in the report. When the officer tried to stop the vehicle, it sped away, striking Gorsek and causing him to "tumble" down the street.

Gorsek took down the license plate and was taken to MetroHealth Medical Center, where he was treated for minor injuries and released.

Geiger’s attorney, William “Bud” Doyle, called his clients’ arrest a “case of mistaken identity.” Geiger wasn’t the driver who hit Gorsek, Doyle said, adding that Geiger wasn't even in Cleveland.

“He was at the Melt restaurant in Lakewood having dinner with his daughter,” Doyle said. “Then, he went home.

“He would have had to taken a cab downtown — and he didn’t.”

Patricia Geiger had the family vehicle that evening in Cleveland, where she attended a show with friends, but Doyle said she didn’t even leave the exit where Gorsek was posted.

On Monday, Doyle said he will present evidence — including the surveillance video from Melt — to the county prosecutors office.

“I wish I could give the police some information,” Doyle said, “because they should find the person who did this. It certainly was not Charles Geiger.” 

According to the report, two witnesses saw the illegal U-turn, then saw the police officer on the ground. The parking garage owner told police that surveillance video caught the incident on tape.

Gorsek, a 22-year department veteran, said  he and Geiger had an argument earlier in the evening over a parking space. In the report, Geiger said no argument  occurred between him and a police officer.

Geiger’s bond was set at 10 percent of $5,000, which he posted the day of his arrest.