Roach

        The decision by Evendale leaders to hire a Cincinnati police officer whose fatal shooting of an unarmed black man sparked April's riots has thrust this sleepy village of about 3,000 into controversy.

        More than 100 citizens launched a fight Sunday to keep former Cincinnati Officer Stephen Roach from patrolling their streets after the village council unanimously approved his hiring last week.

        Mr. Roach quit the Cincinnati Police Department Friday and starts work in Evendale Jan. 21. He could not be reached for comment Sunday.

        “He is not welcome in our neighborhoods,” said Dr. Randy Cox, 43, a family physician. “I am sorry, but there's people of all cultures and ethnic backgrounds here, and we all like each other and we're not going to be divided because of Officer Roach.”

Evendale citizens listen to a committee that wants to block Roach's hiring. (Craig Ruttle photo) | ZOOM |

        While Evendale leaders wholeheartedly supported Mr. Roach's hiring Sunday, about 120 residents called for council to immediately rescind their decision and began circulating petitions for a possible referendum to force the reversal of the hiring.

        Many in this predominantly white, but increasingly diverse, village were shocked by the hiring and furious it cast them in the spotlight.

        “I am disappointed in council and disappointed we are going to have a lightning rod of controversy in our community,” Jim Schababerle, 40, said at the Sunday meeting in a satellite building of Cincinnati State Technical and Community College.

        Some residents were troubled by Mr. Roach's history and its potential impact on their neighborhoods.

Ken Robinson of Evendale expresses his concerns. (Craig Ruttle photo) | ZOOM |

        “If Mr. Roach indeed wants to remain in a profession where he carries a gun to enforce the peace, let him do so elsewhere, in a place far, far removed from this community where neighbors of different racial, ethnic and religious backgrounds are so harmoniously interwoven,” Randy Katz, 56, said to applause.

        Evendale's population includes 2,666 whites, 223 blacks and 166 people of Asian descent, according to the 2000 Census.

        Evendale officials said they wanted to increase the police department's size to meet growing demands in the village. Yet Evendale's population has declined about 2.7 percent over the past 10 years, Census figures show.

        A judge acquitted the 27-year-old Mr. Roach in September on charges of negligent homicide and obstructing official business. Judge Ralph Winkler ruled that Officer Roach shot 19-year-old Timothy Thomas April 7 in Over-the-Rhine because he believed Mr. Thomas otherwise would shoot him.

        Mr. Thomas, who had no gun and was wanted on mostly traffic warrants, had run from officers early that Saturday morning in the gritty neighborhood.

        Merlyn Shiverdecker, Mr. Roach's attorney, said Sunday the angry residents did not have a full understanding of what occurred.

        “It is unfortunate but they simply are misguided,” Mr. Shiverdecker said. “Whoever gets (Officer Roach) has a very fine young man who is an outstanding officer if (they) ... give him a chance.”

        Evendale Police Chief Gary Foust could not be reached for comment Sunday.

        But Evendale Mayor Douglas Lohmeier and two longtime council members who were on the selection committee said Mr. Roach was the best of 31 candidates. He stood out during interviews, a written test, a background check and physical and psychological evaluations, they said.

        He also had excellent job evaluations from the Cincinnati Police Division and several commendations in his personnel jacket. The status of Cincinnati's internal investigation into the shooting was not available Sunday.

        With Mr. Roach's hiring, the police department now has 20 officers, Mayor Lohmeier said. He did not know what Mr. Roach's salary would be.

        “His record is good and clean,” Mayor Lohmeier said. “We would never hire anyone we thought would be a threat to our residents. We anticipated some reaction. The magnitude of it is somewhat surprising.

        “But we are not going to retry this person based on what has happened,” the mayor said. “That's not our responsibility. Our responsibility is to put good officers on the streets and, through our process, that's what we thought we were doing.”

        Because of the controversy, the mayor, Chief Foust and a council member plan to begin meeting Tuesday with 20 residents at a time to discuss the hire. The meetings, to be held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Village of Evendale Municipal Building, will continue until all citizens are heard, Mayor Lohmeier said.

        But people at Sunday's meeting balked and plan to demand an emergency public meeting so all citizens can be heard at once.

        At Thursday's council meeting, only one resident, Pam Harwood — Councilman Harwood's wife — spoke in protest of the hire. Mrs. Harwood said Sunday she objected to the village hiring any Cincinnati officer, not specifically Mr. Roach, because of the federal investigation. She tried to persuade her husband and the mayor to change their minds, she said, to no avail.

        But her husband and the other council member on the selection committee, Catherine Hartman, said they were impressed with Mr. Roach's professionalism.

        “He is very thorough in his understanding of the appropriate role of an officer,” Ms. Hartman said.

        “After everything he went through, he had every opportunity to be bitter and resentful and he wasn't,” she said. “We grilled him. He said he understood the whole process, the trial, and why it needed to happen. He said he was a stronger person because of that. We were all very impressed.”

        She also said that Cincinnati Police Chief Tom Streicher told Chief Foust that Mr. Roach was one of the top five officers in the 1,000-member city police force.

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