BY JOHN HOPKINS
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Lorenzo Collins Douglas Depodesta

A report by the Office of Municipal Investigation (OMI) on the fatal shooting of Lorenzo Collins - the brick-wielding mental patient - received a lukewarm reception Monday from the city's law committee.

CLICK HERE for a summary and links to the three-day Enquirer series sparked by the shooting death of Lorenzo Collins.

Mr. Collins, surrounded by 15 officers, was shot Feb. 23. OMI's involvement came much later, in July.

''It is very difficult to write a report of this type when you have to review material that's five months old,'' Ernest Mc-Adams Jr., chief OMI investigator, told the law committee.

Mr. McAdams presented the report to the law committee Monday afternoon during a regular meeting at City Hall. The committee commended him for the work, but noted what members thought were deficiencies in the report and investigation.

Investigators would have preferred going to the scene in February and immediately starting their probe there, Mr. McAdams said. But OMI was delayed in its investigation because of an ''unusual step'' by police to conduct a criminal investigation.

It was the first time police have called for a criminal investigation in such a case. OMI could not start its probe while a criminal investigation was going on.

''I would hope that it was not used as a strategy to avoid OMI,'' Councilman Charles Winburn said.

Tyrone Yates, chairman of the law committee, said council was briefed on the move by police to conduct a criminal investigation. There was nothing ''sinister'' about it, he said.

Mr. Winburn also voiced concern about OMI's five-person investigative team, which consists of two members of the city solicitor's office - the same office defending the city against a federal lawsuit by the Collins family.

''I see no conflict whatsoever,'' Deputy City Solicitor Bob Johnstone said. Mr. Winburn disagreed.

''Tell me how is that not a conflict of interest,'' Mr. Winburn said. ''...Something ain't right here. I don't understand it.''

Previous stories

COPS SHOULDN'T HAVE FIRED, OMI SAYS August 2, 1997
COLLINS REPORT LEAVES QUESTIONS August 2, 1997
20 PROTEST AT COP'S HOME July 13, 1997
COLLINS CASE TO GET PUBLIC REVIEW July 3, 1997
POLICE ORDERED TO CARRY BATONS July 2, 1997
REVIEWS CLEAR POLICE IN COLLINS SHOOTING July 1, 1997
COLLINS CASE IS BEING DISTORTED An Editorial, June 8, 1997
POLICE SUPPORT OFFICERS IN SHOOTINGS June 5, 1997
POLICE UNION, PROTESTERS PLAN DEMONSTRATIONS June 3, 1997
ENOUGH GUILT TO SHARE Laura Pulfer column, June 3, 1997
SHOOT FIRST, ASK QUESTIONS LATER Peter Bronson column, June 1, 1997
COLLINS PROTESTS CONTINUE May 31, 1997
RADIO LINKS ERRATIC IN COLLINS CHASE May 30, 1997
POLICY ON POLICE HOLDS UNCLEAR May 30, 1997
POLICE SUMMARY OF ITS INVESTIGATION May 29, 1997
DIAGRAM OF THE SHOOTING SCENE May 29, 1997
NO CRIME FOUND IN COLLINS SHOOTING May 29, 1997
NINE MINUTES OF CONFUSION: THE SHOOTING OF LORENZO COLLINS May 27, 1997
DIAGRAM RECONSTRUCTING THE EVENTS May 27, 1997
TRAINING, POLICIES AND POLICE ACTION May 27, 1997
WHY DID THE COPS KILL LORENZO? Peter Bronson column, May 25, 1997
BORGMAN CARTOON May 25, 1997
PUSH FOR POLICE REVIEW FEARED May 9, 1997
FBI TO REVIEW COLLINS CASE May 8, 1997
MARCHERS VOW SEASON OF DISRUPTIONS May 5, 1997
PROSECUTORS GET REPORT ON FATAL SHOOTING April 29, 1997
SHOOTING PROTESTERS ALLEGE POLICE BRUTALITY April 17, 1997
DEMONSTRATORS CITE SHOOTING OF MENTAL PATIENT March 24, 1997
BAPTIST MINISTERS PROTEST AGAINST POLICE March 20, 1997
LAWSUIT SEEKS $5 MILLION March 13, 1997
PUNISH POLICE, MARCHERS URGE March 5, 1997
FATAL SHOOTING CONCERNS COMMUNITY March 2, 1997
PROBE: POLICE FIRED FOUR SHOTS AT MAN WITH BRICK Feb. 25, 1997
MAN SHOT BY POLICE AFTER CHASE Feb. 24, 1997