Latest news with #RichardFinan
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ohio town orders review of police response to neo-Nazi demonstrators
A small Ohio municipality has apologized for not publicly responding to neo-Nazi demonstrators, some holding flags with swastikas, who marched in town recently, and ordered an independent review of how police handled the matter. Residents had urged officials in Evendale, a suburb of Cincinnati, to explain what prompted the protest and why no one was arrested in the Feb. 7 incident that ended when a group of Black residents confronted the marchers and burned their flags. 'We apologize about not meeting or speaking to you sooner about the problems,' Mayor Richard Finan said in a Monday news conference, adding that officials wanted to determine what transpired before addressing the public. 'We want to improve, make things better and see if we did anything wrong on that day,' he said. About a dozen black-clad demonstrators, some of whom were armed and holding Nazi flags, marched on a freeway overpass before being confronted by a larger group of Black residents, some of whom were also armed. The march took place near Lincoln Heights, a historically Black community. Black leaders and residents in the Cincinnati metro area said they were frustrated that the demonstrators were allowed to march at all and requested an investigation into the response by Evendale police and Hamilton County sheriff's deputies. The Rev. Julian Armand Cook, of Lincoln Heights Missionary Baptist Church, who was not involved in the confrontation, said he found the demonstration disturbing. 'To see it show up at the gateway to this historic community, the first, the oldest Black, self-governed city north of the Mason-Dixon Line, it is very clear what message it is sending,' he told NBC News earlier this month. 'So it was — I was angry. I was hurt. I was shocked.' Evendale police have said no laws were broken and officers were obligated to protect the demonstrators' First Amendment right to free speech. 'Any public space can suddenly become the location of a demonstration,' Evendale Police Chief Timothy Holloway said at the news conference. 'These sort of demonstrations are always a possibility.' Evendale officials said they have hired Chicago-based 21CP Solutions, a public safety consulting firm, to conduct the review. The process will take about three months, they said. 'What happened in Lincoln Heights was awful, heinous, hurtful, hateful, use the word you want to describe,' Evendale Council Member Chris Patterson said. 'It's something that none of us liked and we are absolutely committed to doing what we can to reassure the community." Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval condemned the actions of the protesters shortly after the demonstration ended. 'Messages of hate like this have no place in our region. It was shocking and disgusting to see swastikas displayed in Evendale,' he wrote on X. 'This is not what we stand for, and it will never be what we stand for.' This article was originally published on
NBC News
25-02-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Ohio town orders review of police response to neo-Nazi demonstrators
A small Ohio municipality has apologized for not publicly responding to neo-Nazi demonstrators, some holding flags with swastikas, who marched in town recently, and ordered an independent review of how police handled the matter. Residents had urged officials in Evendale, a suburb of Cincinnati, to explain what prompted the protest and why no one was arrested in the Feb. 7 incident that ended when a group of Black residents confronted the marchers and burned their flags. 'We apologize about not meeting or speaking to you sooner about the problems,' Mayor Richard Finan said in a Monday news conference, adding that officials wanted to determine what transpired before addressing the public. 'We want to improve, make things better and see if we did anything wrong on that day,' he said. About a dozen black-clad demonstrators, some of whom were armed and holding Nazi flags, marched on a freeway overpass before being confronted by a larger group of Black residents, some of whom were also armed. The march took place near Lincoln Heights, a historically Black community. Black leaders and residents in the Cincinnati metro area said they were frustrated that the demonstrators were allowed to march at all and requested an investigation into the response by Evendale police and Hamilton County sheriff's deputies. The Rev. Julian Armand Cook, of Lincoln Heights Missionary Baptist Church, who was not involved in the confrontation, said he found the demonstration disturbing. 'To see it show up at the gateway to this historic community, the first, the oldest Black, self-governed city north of the Mason-Dixon Line, it is very clear what message it is sending,' he told NBC News earlier this month. 'So it was — I was angry. I was hurt. I was shocked.' Evendale police have said no laws were broken and officers were obligated to protect the demonstrators' First Amendment right to free speech. 'Any public space can suddenly become the location of a demonstration,' Evendale Police Chief Timothy Holloway said at the news conference. 'These sort of demonstrations are always a possibility.' Evendale officials said they have hired Chicago-based 21CP Solutions, a public safety consulting firm, to conduct the review. The process will take about three months, they said. 'What happened in Lincoln Heights was awful, heinous, hurtful, hateful, use the word you want to describe,' Evendale Council Member Chris Patterson said. 'It's something that none of us liked and we are absolutely committed to doing what we can to reassure the community." Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval condemned the actions of the protesters shortly after the demonstration ended. 'Messages of hate like this have no place in our region. It was shocking and disgusting to see swastikas displayed in Evendale,' he wrote on X. 'This is not what we stand for, and it will never be what we stand for.'
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Consulting firm to review Evendale police's actions during neo-Nazi demonstration
An out-of-state consulting firm will be reviewing the actions of a police agency that responded to the neo-Nazi demonstration near Cincinnati earlier this month. The Village of Evendale said in a statement Friday that it has asked Illinois-based 21 CP Solutions to "review the events of February 7," including police actions, as well as to "provide insights and recommendations on best practice law enforcement in today's ever-changing political and social landscape." The firm is led by former Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey, who has 50 years of experience in the law enforcement field. More: Body cam shows how Evendale police reacted to white supremacist protest EVENDALE OH (February 21, 2025): An independent team has been hired to review the events of February 7. The Village of... Posted by Village of Evendale, Ohio on Friday, February 21, 2025 'We owe it to our community and all those affected by Feb. 7 to learn from that day and strengthen trust,' Mayor Richard Finan said in the statement. "The Village of Evendale and the Evendale Police Department are committed to full transparency in this process, including regular updates and a promise to release the findings report in full at the conclusion of the review." Work is expected to start next week. The full details of the engagement, including the scope of work and anticipated timelines, will be announced during a 1 p.m. news conference Monday at the Evendale Village Council Chambers. The 21 CP Solutions team is comprised of a "diverse, seasoned group of professionals" that has supported communities across the country by "developing and implementing equitable and integrity-driven public safety," the statement reads. Related: Sheriff says 'no law being violated' by swastika flyers in Evendale, residents furious and on edge More: Lincoln Heights rally calls for Evendale boycott to protest neo-Nazi display response 'We will do all we can to assist the Village of Evendale in fully evaluating what happened on February 7th. Our review will be impartial, transparent, and done with the highest degree of independence and professionalism,' Sean Smoot, managing partner of 21CP Solutions, said in the statement. The demonstration stirred up controversy in Greater Cincinnati and left many of the surrounding communities on edge, especially Lincoln Heights, a historically Black village of which residents confronted the white supremacist group. Since then, several men, donning all black and wearing masks with rifles in hand, have recently been seen guarding the village's streets, stopping cars and vetting passersby. During a meeting on Feb. 11, Hamilton County commissioners slammed the village of Evendale's response to the white supremacist demonstration last week. They echoed the concerns of residents as to why the armed white supremacists were able to leave without any citations or arrests by police. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Police to be reviewed after white supremacist protest near Cincinnati
