CinCity Rioters Face Hate-Crime Penalties

Kelley Walker kelley at interpactinc.com
Fri May 11 15:32:33 PDT 2001


CINCINNATI RIOTERS FACE HATE-CRIME PENALTIES

Steve Miller

THE WASHINGTON TIMES

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> The FBI in Cincinnati is pursuing hate-crimes charges

against black rioters who randomly attacked whites in three

incidents last month.

FBI spokesman Ed Boldt said his division was working the

cases, "which arose from allegations received after the

disturbances. These were brought by complaints." Mr. Boldt

declined to identify the race of the suspects.

But a law enforcement source, speaking on the condition of

anonymity, confirmed that the suspects were part of black

gangs that rampaged during three days of disturbances in

mid-April.

One white man already has been indicted on racial

intimidation charges, the state´s version of a hate-crimes

law. The riots were triggered by the April 7 police shooting

death of Timothy Thomas, an unarmed 19-year-old black man,

who was running from officers.

During the violent outbreaks, rioters broke the windows of

downtown merchants, looted stores and started fires.

And some yanked white motorists from their cars and beat

them.

"These would be felonies and, under federal law, punishable

by up to ten years," said Mike Allen, Hamilton County

Prosecutor. Mr. Allen had previously questioned federal

agencies´ apparent lack of interest in pursuing numerous

reports of hate crimes that were reported during the riots.

He has promised to vigorously pursue such offenses committed

by anyone, regardless of race.

"I am obviously very happy that the FBI has chosen to

investigate these cases," Mr. Allen said. His office can

work with the FBI on prosecuting the cases under federal and

county law, Mr. Allen said. That would provide the heft of

both federal and local penalties. The cooperative effort is

akin to that used to prosecute bank robberies.

The news is an answer of some kind for John Ridel, who has

wondered if his case will get any attention. He filed a

report with the Cincinnati police, saying he was beaten by a

mob of 15 blacks in north Cincinnati as the downtown was

raging last month.

The riots had spread, although Mr. Ridel didn´t know about

it.

The Cincinnati man said he was driving through the city

with his fiancee and her 10-year-old son when a group of

black protesters blocked his car.

Mr. Ridel got out. They jumped him.

"I took two steps, that´s the last thing I remember," he

said.

Witnesses called the police, who arrived and broke things

up.

But when police investigators failed to respond to his

complaint ("They basically blew me off," he said), Mr. Ridel

took the matter to the FBI.

"I´m glad to hear that someone may look into this," he

added.

The riots and the indictment of Stephen Roach, the officer

who shot Timothy Thomas, have fueled a combustible racial

stew in the city of 330,000. Traditionally popular events

such as concerts and celebrations are being threatened by

activist groups that promise to protest at them.

One of the city´s leading civil rights crusaders, the Rev.

Damon Lynch III, said earlier this week that he intends to

keep the heat on city leaders throughout the summer via

sit-ins and demonstrations.

The result of those protests, he hopes, will be relief of

what he perceives as "racial problems."

His followers have so far staged a sit-in at a restaurant,

marches through city streets, and protests at City Hall.

One targeted event, "Taste of Cincinnati," draws up to

500,000 people and brings in an estimated $25 million to the

city. Mr. Lynch said the annual Memorial Day weekend

celebration should not be held because of strife in the

city. Cincinnati leaders have acquiesced, for the most part,

to the wishes of protesters.

Minette Cooper, the city´s vice mayor, said she and her

colleagues can try to calm the civil rights agitators, but

"how many times can we do that? We also have to make some of

the changes necessary, which means police reform, economical

development."

And there is the inevitable federal lawsuit, which was

filed this week by the family of Mr. Thomas. The suit claims

that the city of Cincinnati is ultimately to blame for the

shooting death of Mr. Thomas.

Mr. Thomas´ death, the lawsuit claims, stems from the

pattern of civil rights abuses by officers "who have lied

about their actions in fatal shootings to justify a claim of

self-defense."

The civil action seeks unspecified damages.

City Council member Pat DeWine said yesterday that the city

has already been too weak in its stand against detractors.

He admits the police department, beleaguered by accusations

of misconduct for years, may justify the federal

investigation that was announced on Monday.

But, "We have to get rid of this idea that the only way to

deal with all of this is to cave in to some of these people

who are making threats," Mr. DeWine said. "How can we create

a jobs program, which we did, when we can´t even find enough

lifeguards to keep all of our city pools open? This is like

the ´60s, creating jobs for people to do nothing."

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This article was mailed from The Washington Times

> (http://www.washtimes.com/national/20010511-99983556.htm)



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