On June 25, 2000, Officer Wayne Leon, 32, a six-year veteran of the Cleveland Division of Police, was shot and killed during a routine traffic stop at East 40th Street and Community College in Cleveland, Ohio. Leon had exited his patrol car when the suspect, Quisi Bryan, approached and shot him in the face. Officer Leon was taken to a local hospital and later died of his injuries.

The shooter, Quisi Bryan, 29, fled but was captured by Columbus police the same day. Bryan was on parole from a 1995 attempted robbery sentence. He was convicted of aggravated murder of a police officer in November 2000 and sentenced to death. Leon is survived by his wife, Grace, and three young children. A section of Lorain Avenue in front of St. Ignatius High School was renamed the Officer Wayne Leon Memorial Highway in his honor.

Leon’s death prompted the formation of the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force and the Fugitive Safe Surrender Program, and his wife received recognition for her work supporting families of homicide victims. If anyone has information about Officer Leon, his family, or the community impact of this case, please share it.