Tuesday, February 08, 2000
Winburn: OMI needs shake-up
Probes incomplete in some shootings
BY PERRY BROTHERS
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Cincinnati Councilman Charlie Winburn said Monday that a city agency required to investigate police shootings of civilians should be examined for possible reorganization.
Mr. Winburn, chairman of the Law and Public Safety Committee, suggested several possibilities for the Office of Municipal Investigations (OMI), including removing it from the supervision of the city manager and requiring that the agency report to council.
His comments were in response to a report by OMI Director Ernest McAdams on nine cases of police shootings which had not fully investigated by OMI since 1994. The cases were highlighted by The Cincinnati Enquirer in a December series about police use of deadly force.
“OMI needs a shake-up,” Mr. Winburn told Mr. McAdams during the committee meeting. “That's what this is about is incompetent work.”
Mr. McAdams should not be held responsible, the councilman said, because all but one of the highlighted cases were from before the director took control in 1997. OMI has since completed its investigation of the one case that happened after Mr. McAdams became director.
Mr. McAdams said his staff will re-examine four of the nine cases without completed investigations.
It's very difficult to do a report that is four, five and six years old,” said Mr. McAdams. “Those cases are pending, and it's going to take some time.”
Mary Ann Whitfield asked the committee to ensure OMI completes its investigation of her son's nonfatal shooting. The 1995 case of Kyron Thomas — who is serving seven to 25 years in the Dayton Correctional Institution for felonious assault — is one of the nine without an OMI ruling.
Ms. Whitfield said she has tried several times to get OMI to complete an investigation since her son was shot and wounded by a Cincinnati police officer. “Still, I want some answers,” Ms. Whitfield said.
Police say the officer was forced into medical retirement because of injuries he sustained when Mr. Thomas attacked him.
Keith Fangman, president of the Fraternal Order of Police, Queen City Lodge 69, told the committee that three investigations have been completed on the case — one by the homicide unit, one by the internal investigations unit and another by the Hamilton County prosecutor's office.
All three investigations, which are routine after police shootings of civilians, cleared the officer of any wrongdoing.
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