Fifteen African-American men have been killed by police in the city since 1995. A Hamilton County grand jury is investigating the shooting, as is the FBI, looking for possible civil rights violations. In Washington, President George W. Bush told Attorney General John Ashcroft to help calm the Ohio city, and the Justice Department sent two senior officials to serve as mediators between community leaders and city leaders. Ashcroft said Friday the Justice Department is evaluating a request from Luken to review the city's police department. The officer who shot Thomas, Steve Roach, has been placed on administrative leave.
Nobody says that anymore.
We're a small, little river town that's afraid to face its real issues. And race is our main issue. Cincinnati officials don't disagree that the city is a troubled one. Cranley said, however, that the issues weren't as straightforward as some of the protesters tried to paint them. Alicia Reese, an African-American colleague of Cranley's on the city council, said that the city's problems certainly weren't unknown.