Lorain, OH — John Kovach Jr., a white police officer from Ohio who detained his daughter’s 18-year old Black boyfriend for no reason at all, was fired after an internal investigation concluded that he abused his authority when he conducted the bogus traffic stop in order to hold them off.
On April 16, Makai Coleman was driving a vehicle with his girlfriend Katlyn Kovach when they passed the cruiser of police officer and Katlyn’s father, John Kovach Jr.
In a dashcam video footage, Kovach can be seen pulling the car over without alerting dispatch. He then told Coleman to get out of the car because he’s “going to jail.” Confused, Coleman asked why, but Kovach only said, “Have a seat in my car. We’ll make sh** up as we go.”
After an argument with a parent of two other passengers in the car, Kovach saw his daughter inside the car and told her to get out and pushed her to the cruiser. His daughter was seen complaining and saying she is 18 and can’t be arrested for no reason.
Kovach temporarily detained Coleman and his daughter at the back of his cruiser.
Kovach was fired on May 11 due to his violation of the various sections of the department’s standards of conduct and policy and procedures during the April 16 incident. His case is currently being reviewed by Lorain County Prosecutor Dennis Will.
“These actions are not acceptable for members of our police department and we felt it warranted immediate dismissal,” Lorain Safety-Service Director Dan Given told the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram.
Watch the live footage below: