Cincinnati mayor declares state of emergency

April 12, 2001 Web posted at: 11:15 a.m. EDT (1515 GMT)

CINCINNATI, Ohio (CNN) -- The mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio, Charles Luken, has declared a state of emergency and announced a citywide curfew from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.

The move comes in the wake of violent demonstrations over the police shooting of an unarmed black man.

"We cannot tolerate the lawlessness any longer," Luken told a news conference.

Only people going to and from work will be allowed on the streets. Others "should stay in their homes and pray," Luken said.

The announcement was made after a Cincinnati police officer was shot Wednesday night.

Police Lt. Ray Ruberg said it appears the officer's bulletproof vest took the brunt of the shot. He did not know the officer's condition.

Youths reinvaded several stores that had previously been looted in Over-the-Rhine, a poor and predominantly black district just north of downtown.

"I think the black citizens are tired and scared, I think the white citizens are tired and scared," Luken said. "There's gunfire going on here like you might hear in Beirut. It's dangerous and it's getting more dangerous."

A man interrupted Luken at the news conference to ask whether the mayor was ready to meet with a group calling itself the New Black Panthers. He was pulled out of the room after shouting that the mayor was a "liar."

"That's the kind of incivility we've been dealing with," Luken said.

The shooting of the officer came after the third day of anger in which protesters looted buildings and set fire to a market, threw rocks and bottles at police, and attacked motorists, police said.

The unrest stemmed from the Saturday killing of an unarmed black man by police -- the fifth African-American killed by Cincinnati police in seven months.

Ruberg said more than 65 people had been injured in the violent demonstrations since Tuesday afternoon, and nearly 40 people had been arrested. Police in riot gear fired bean bags, rubber bullets and tear gas at rioters.

Luken canceled a City Council meeting Wednesday, fearing more rioting.

"There's a great deal of frustration within the community, which is understandable. We've had way too many deaths in our community at the hands of Cincinnati police," Luken said.

"I'm not asking anyone not to be frustrated, but to just realize in the short-term someone could get hurt," he added.

Demonstrators broke into small groups, and some set trash bins ablaze in a neighborhood bordering downtown Cincinnati. By early Wednesday morning there had been at least 39 arrests associated with the demonstrations and violence, according to Cincinnati police.

Charges range from looting and disorderly conduct to inciting a riot and theft.

Ruberg said police had put in place civil disturbance procedures before the Tuesday night riots had broken out, and more police officers were on the streets.

"We're hoping that community leaders come forth and talk to individuals, to try to convince them that civil disobedience, disorder and damage is not the way to get your message across," Ruberg said.

Tensions had been running high in the city after the death Saturday morning of Timothy Thomas, 19, who was shot while fleeing police. Thomas was wanted for a variety of minor misdemeanors, such as not wearing a seat belt.

The unrest began Monday night, when demonstrators broke out 28 windows at Cincinnati's City Hall. Tuesday afternoon, about 150 demonstrators -- young people, both black and white -- marched through city streets, overturning news racks and breaking windows, said Gina Ruffin Moore, communications director for City Manager John Shirey.

Tuesday's demonstrators never made it to City Hall, where police ringed the building with shields.

Fresh rioting began at dusk Tuesday, when arsonists set fire to the Findlay Market, an open-air market in Over-the-Rhine, the neighborhood where Thomas was shot, authorities said.

The disturbances began Monday after a meeting between Cincinnati's Public Safety Committee and local NAACP President Norma Hope Davis over the shooting.

"We're trying to help express community outrage and make sure this doesn't happen again," Davis said.

Community leaders, local ministers, members of the NAACP and elected officials met Tuesday night to discuss the situation. A prayer vigil was also held in Over-the-Rhine.

The FBI opened a preliminary civil rights investigation in Thomas' case Tuesday after talking with the chief of police, said FBI spokesman Ed Boldt.

Civil rights investigations are pending on two other cases, including one in which a suspect being arrested last November struggled with officers and died of asphyxiation.

State prosecutors have indicted two officers in that case, Boldt said.

Ruberg could not comment on reports that Thomas appeared to be reaching for a gun, saying that aspect of the case was under investigation. He said a police video relating to the incident had been subpoenaed by county prosecutors, but he did not know what the tape contained.

-- (racist dictator @ begins martial. law), April 12, 2001

Answers

If you are black and you think things have been rough so far, you ain't seen nothing yet. You should figure out how to bleach your skin, because things are going to get a lot worse with the Neo-Nazi bigot Dumbya running the show.

-- (oppression, slavery, executions @ back. in style), April 12, 2001.

What's this got to do with Bush, idiot?

-- Buddy (buddydc@go.com), April 12, 2001.

"the fifth African-American killed by Cincinnati police in seven months."

How many months has we been under President Bush's watch??

Yep.....that's what I thought too.....Clinton 4 - Bush 1.

Deano

-- Deano (deano@luvthebeach.com), April 12, 2001.

For the life of me I have never been able to figure out how looting and burning black owned businesses in any way helps the black cause, or black neighborhoods.

-- Uncle Deedah (unkeed@yahoo.com), April 12, 2001.

What’s this got to do with anything but the unlawful behavior of the black community in Cincinnati? Like all of the other riots in this country, it just opens an opportunity for looting and mayhem. Why do you think we have racial profiling in the police agencies? If it walks like a duck....you know the rest.

This is just another excuse for the black community not to take responsibility for their criminal actions. Tonight, the rubber bullets will be replaced with the real thing. Book um Dano!

-- Tired (of@black.criminals), April 12, 2001.

Anyone who doesn't heed the warning:

"STOP OR WE'LL SHOOT!" pretty much deserves what he gets.

No sympathy here.......

Deano

-- Deano (deano@luvthebeach.com), April 12, 2001.

Maybe when the cops yell for a black to stop they should use eubonics so that the black perp understands what the cop is saying (something like, "I'm gonna git you sucker..") I agree also -- What the hell does President Bush have to do with this?

-- Say it (in the right@language.com), April 12, 2001.

I feel more sad for the poor helpless children that died under the watch of Clinton in Waco, Texas, than I do with a thief with a long history of crimes being shot.

I say let them burn their own neighborhoods down, they deserve what they have done to themselves. Time to lock and load.

-- see it for what it is (seeitforwhatitis@seeit.see), April 12, 2001.

"Only people going to and from work will be allowed on the streets. Others "should stay in their homes and pray," Luken said."

Yeh, better pray with a 12 guage in your arms.

-- bang bang (bangbang@bang.bang), April 12, 2001.

"Only people going to and from work will be allowed on the streets."

Pimps, Ho's, and Crack Dealers excepted.

-- Rock and Roll (in@river.city), April 12, 2001.

Dontcha know that those blacks shot while Clinton was President were really whites???!! Yep yep, had to have been cuz Clinton was our first black President and never would have allowed it.

-- libs are idiots (moreinterpretation@ugly.com), April 13, 2001.

Unc: I hear you. I remember as a lil girl in the 60's the hough riots. Yeah that helps, burn up your own freaking neighborhood.!!!

I saw a new head honcho last nite on Hannity/Colms who is Black Panther Leader. He stated something to the effect of white people aint seen nothing yet. I also heard it reported that the whites were told to stay out of downtown. Media is not showing (although H/C) showed some white people beaten after being pulled from their cars.

This reminds me of LA and the Rodney King shit. It was stated that most of those shot by police had weapons and/or fired at police.

I havent trusted the media in along time. But man it PUKES me to see stupid fucks tearing up their own neighborhoods and looting.

hops of soap box now. C

-- sumer (shh@aol.con), April 13, 2001.