HAMILTON - A disturbance broke out about 9 p.m. Thursday in front of the police department by people upset with the death of a Hamilton man arrested last week on a drug charge.
Police in riot gear responded to quell the disturbance after people threw rocks and bottles at passing cars and pulled several motorists from their car. No serious injuries were reported, and there were no arrests reported.
"Right now, we're just trying to maintain order," Detective Dan Pratt said about 11:30 p.m.
Detective Pratt said that Russell Rogers of the 500 block of 11th Street died Thursday in Fort Hamilton-Hughes Hospital, where he had been in intensive care on life support for about a week.
Mr. Rogers was arrested last week and charged with drug possession and tampering with evidence - trying to swallow some cocaine - Detective Pratt said.
After Mr. Rogers was placed in a holding cell, an officer noticed he was having a seizure and he was taken to the hospital. Police think he had swallowed a large quantity of cocaine prior to his arrest. Authorities are awaiting autopsy results.
After Mr. Rogers' death, his relatives requested a meeting with police and city officials at Payne Chapel AME Church on Front Street. The disturbance began as the meeting broke up and the crowd - estimated by neighbors as 50 to 100 people - began gathering at the police department on Front Street.
One person was hit by a brick and was taken to the hospital. Two others were injured by glass. Their conditions were not known. At that point, police put on riot gear and blocked off Front Street and surrounding streets.
Scott Brown of West Chester was in his car when he encountered the crowd. "I was on my way home . . . and ran into a mob of angry people," he said.
Mr. Brown said his car was damaged by people throwing rocks and bottles.
The Butler County coroner will perform a autopsy to determine the cause of Mr. Rogers' death, Detective Pratt said.
George McNally, a city council member and former police chief, described the activity as a disturbance; Ed Barnes, Hamilton's director of human relations, said it was not a riot. City officials think police nipped it before it escalated.
"We have some responsible people here," Mr. McNally said. He didn't expect a repeat of problems tonight.
City officials promised there will be an investigation.
"We've asked people to go home and talk calmly," Mr. Barnes said, "but emotions are emotions."
Some of the feelings that spilled out were long-simmering, he said, reflecting problems other than Mr. Rogers' death.
"We will work aggressively to right some things," he said. A public meeting has been scheduled for 1 p.m. today in Payne Chapel.
Lisa Donovan and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
