ODOT orders removal of Thin Blue Line Flag under fallen Cleveland police officer memorial sign on I-90

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) officials have asked the family of a Cleveland police officer killed in the line of duty to remove a cloth Thin Blue Line Flag hanging beneath his highway memorial sign on I-90.

Officer David Fahey, 39, was killed by a hit and run driver on I-90 on Jan. 24, 2017.

Statement from ODOT:

“On May 23rd, //Cleveland.com/ Plain Dealer reached out to ODOT about a flag attached to the Officer Fahey Memorial along I-90. //Cleveland.com/Plain Dealer asked when the flag would be removed. Because of this complaint, ODOT has contacted Officer Fahey’s family and asked that it be removed. ODOT trusts the family will remove the flag in the near future and considers this issue closed.”

There is a brown memorial sign approved by ODOT for Officer Fahey located on I-90 near the W. 117th Exit that reads “Officer David Fahey Memorial Highway”.

In July 2021, Officer Fahey’s family and friends had to remove a wooden Thin Blue Line Flag that had been placed underneath the ODOT sign.

ODOT said no signage is allowed on state property unless it is approved.

“There are no exceptions to the rule,” said Isaac Hunt, ODOT Public Information Officer.

Israel Alvarez, the hit and run driver who killed Officer Fahey, was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

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