CLEVELAND — The grandson of Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson pleaded not guilty to assault charges stemming from a June incident in which he's accused of assaulting his teen girlfriend.
Frank Q. Jackson's bond was issued at $25,000 and he was ordered to avoid contact with the victim. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for Sept. 16.
Jackson, 22, faces several charges for the June incident, including assault and failure to comply with police.
U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott negotiated with Mayor Jackson Thursday night for the surrender of his grandson. Elliott confirmed to Channel 3 Friday morning that he spoke to the mayor about a peaceful surrender, but was unable to offer details at the time.
CMHA police say the incident occurred on June 10, in the 2000 block of E. 49th Street. The victim reported that she and a friend were sitting in the back seat of a Ford F-150 truck parked outside a gas station.
The victim, according to the report, said she asked her friend to buy something from the store. When she left, Jackson, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, then turned around and began punching and strangling the victim, according to the report.
The victim told police she suffers from asthma and felt "as if she was going to pass out during the strangulation," the report states.
The victim's friend said she returned from the store and found Jackson "brutally assaulting" the victim, who was struggling to breathe. The friend said she tried to stop Jackson but he kicked her out of the truck.
The Cleveland Prosecutor's Office declined to file charges, despite police reports and witness statements that corroborated the assault. The victim, who is an 18-year-old woman, did not want to press charges, according to Cleveland Metropolitan Housing Authority police reports.