Police officials gave Cincinnati City Council a minute-by-minute account Tuesday of the rock-throwing incident in Over-the-Rhine last week.

        Council members came away satisfied that police handled the situation appropriately, but less convinced that there's been much improvement in police-community relations since last April's riots.

        “The biggest thing is the community part of the police-community equation,” said Councilman Chris Monzel, who prompted the council inquiry into the April 15 incident in which young people started pelting passing cars with rocks and eggs after police arrived to break up a fight.

        “What we're tremendously lacking is respect for law and authority,” Mr. Monzel said.

        Assistant Police Chief Richard Janke gave this account of the incident:

        About 6:45 p.m., police received a report of a fight in progress at Vine and Green streets. They arrived to find two girls fighting and a crowd of more than 250 people watching — people who began to shout and move toward police as they arrived.

        Backup arrived. Officers made three arrests of suspects, aged 12, 15 and 17. By 7:15 p.m., the situation was “stabilized” and officers left the scene.

        Within 15 minutes, police dispatchers began getting calls of cars being pelted with rocks, bottles and eggs.

        Police closed off Vine Street for almost 90 minutes, and moved in patrols of two and four officers to break up the crowds.

        Lt. Col Janke said he saw “nothing unreasonable” about the way the incident was portrayed in the media. While there were few arrests and no reported injuries, he said he expects there to be a “spotlight” on such incidents in light of the city's recent history.

        Cecil Thomas, a former police detective who directs the Cincinnati Human Relations Commission, said the incident shows the work that remains to be done in patching up police-community relations.

        “Right now, we see a very serious concern with where we are in April versus April of last year,” he said. “What happened last week with these officers shows the frustration that's been there for years.”

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