EVENDALE — Martin Luther King III urged village residents here Sunday to continue protesting the recent hiring of police officer Stephen Roach.

        At a panel discussion that drew about 100 people to the Evendale Bicentennial Shelter House, Mr. King pledged his support and encouraged the opponents to involve the village's business leaders in their crusade to get Officer Roach off the police force.

        “I would hope that you continue in this quest,” he told the crowd, drawing applause. “I am willing to come back and engage in dialogue with the business community because they can resolve it. They can resolve it tomorrow.”

        Mr. King, president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, was in Cincinnati Sunday to participate in a racial profiling community “hearing” at an Over-the-Rhine church.

        He appeared in Evendale at the invitation of Concerned Citizens of Evendale, a group of about 200 opponents to Officer Roach's hiring.

        The group said Sunday it intends to file a lawsuit, with at least 14 plaintiffs, aimed at forcing village officials to put the hiring decision on the November ballot.

        Officer Roach's hiring in January sparked much controversy here that was recharged after the release of a Cincinnati police internal affairs report that said he violated procedures in a 2001 fatal shooting of an unarmed black man, then lied to investigators.

        After the report was released, Evendale's police chief pulled Officer Roach, 28, from street patrols until he can clear his name. If he can't do that by Jan. 20, 2003, he will be fired. Officer Roach's attorney has said he will not quit and intends to clear his name.

        Several village leaders and neighbors repeatedly have said more residents support than oppose Officer Roach.

        “Essentially, this officer got away with murder,” Mr. King said. “If you and I had gone out and shot someone ... we would be in jail. But this man is put back on the streets to protect and to serve ... that is wrong.”

        Two Evendale council members, Phil Schneider and Jeff Albrinck, attended Sunday's session but did not publicly speak and left immediately after Mr. King's talk, declining comment. Mr. Thomas' mother, Angela Leisure, also attended the event. She said later that she stands behind opponents of the hire.

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