Ronald Gaines Jr. stood outside the Hamilton County Courthouse, just a bit hesitant about venturing inside, up to the third floor and into a courtroom where there are photographs of his “big cousin.”

        The photos were taken of Roger Owensby Jr. after he died that night last November, while five Cincinnati police officers tried to subdue him.

        “I'm seeing those pictures of my cousin for the first time and what they did to him,” said Mr. Gaines, who is 27 and lives in English Woods. “It just hurt a lot.”

        Two of the officers involved are on trial for what happened to Mr. Owensby — Cincinnati Police Officer Robert “Blaine” Jorg, whose trial on an involuntary manslaughter charge began Monday, and Officer Patrick Caton, whose misdemeanor trial on a charge of assaulting Mr. Owensby during that same arrest began Wednesday with jury selection.

        On Wednesday, in the courtroom of Common Pleas Judge Thomas Nurre, Nov. 7, 2000, is a day frozen in time. The same will happen today in another courtroom when Officer Caton's trial begins.

        Within the courtroom, Aerial St. Clair, a 19-year-old who witnessed the struggle between police and Mr. Owensby, talks about Nov. 7, 2000. She testifies about marijuana and how Mr. Owensby sold her marijuana.

        “How much marijuana do you smoke?” R. Scott Croswell, Officer Jorg's attorney, asks her.

        “Too much,” says Ms. St. Clair.

        Outside the courthouse Mr. Gaines shook his head. “They're trying to do a defamation of character of my big cousin,” said Mr. Gaines. “They're talking about everything but the murder. This is not a drug investigation.”

        Three protesters carry signs outside the courthouse during the morning and into the afternoon.

        General Kabaka carries a sign and says he is with the Black Special Forces. “Not to be confused with the special forces looking for bin Laden,” he adds, smiling.

        “We believe police brutality is a crime. We don't believe police-community relations is the answer. We believe the only solution to police brutality is prison.”

        Officer Jorg huddles with Mr. Croswell in the hallway. Later, before the trial resumes, he straightens the tie of a friend, takes a pat on the back and talks with his family.

        His family sits on one side of the courtroom, the Owensby family on the other.

        “We're doing very well,” says Gary Jorg, Officer Jorg's father. “His sister, mom and dad, friends and neighbors are very supportive.”

        Mr. Gaines said he had never seen his uncle, Roger Owensby Sr., Mr. Owensby's father, cry. Not until Nov. 7, 2000. “I saw him cry that night.”

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