Cincinnati riots of 2001
The Cincinnati riots of 2001 were a significant event that unfolded in April after the fatal shooting of an unarmed African American teenager, Timothy Thomas, by a white police officer. Thomas was shot while fleeing from police, leading to widespread outrage within the community, particularly given his death marked the fifteenth African American killed by the Cincinnati Police Department in six years. The subsequent protests turned into riots, lasting four days, during which property was damaged, and numerous people were injured. The situation escalated to the point that a state of emergency was declared, and a curfew was imposed to control the violence.
The riots highlighted longstanding issues of racial profiling and community-police relations, themes that had been present in Cincinnati since the 1960s. In the aftermath, city officials recognized the need for reform, leading to initiatives aimed at improving police training and accountability. The establishment of the Citizens Complaint Authority in 2002 sought to address concerns about police conduct and facilitate better community oversight. Despite the violence and unrest, there were efforts to rebuild trust and enhance safety within the neighborhoods affected by the riots, although challenges persisted in the following months. The events of 2001 remain a pivotal moment in Cincinnati's history, reflecting broader societal issues regarding race and law enforcement.
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Subject Terms
Cincinnati riots of 2001
The Event: Four days of riots stemming from years of racial tensions between Cincinnati police officers and community members
Date: April 9–12, 2001
Place: Cincinnati, Ohio
The Cincinnati riots of 2001 turned the city upside down and pitted city officials and police officers against community members. After four days of riots and millions of dollars in damages, the city tried to put its community back together. However, violence and crime continued to plague the city for some time afterward.
On April 7, 2001, white Cincinnati police officer Stephen Roach shot and killed African American suspect Timothy Thomas. The nineteen-year-old, who had fourteen warrants, fled from police officers. When Roach caught Thomas in an alley, he claimed that the suspect reached for a gun, which resulted in Roach shooting him. Thomas later died, and police discovered that the teenager was unarmed and that the warrants were for traffic violations. He was the fifteenth African American killed by the Cincinnati police department in six years.
A month before this incident, the Cincinnati Police Division was accused of racial profiling in a lawsuit filed by more than thirty African Americans. They accused the department of years of abuse and mistreatment, dating back to the 1960s. On April 9, 2001, protesters, angered by Thomas’s death, packed a council meeting. The crowd then continued their protest in the streets. Soon afterward, calls came in for police assistance as the protest turned into a riot.
Two days passed, and the violence continued. By April 11, hundreds were jailed and hundreds more were injured. Fires continued to burn while looting and property damage increased. The riots attracted the attention of the media, which warned people to avoid Cincinnati. After rioters shot a police officer on the night of April 11, Mayor Charles Luken issued a state of emergency and imposed a curfew. The violence stopped by April 13, enabling city officials to begin assessing the damage.
Impact
Fear of another riot caused Cincinnati police to withdraw from problematic areas of the city after the 2001 riots; crime and violence overtook those neighborhoods. Daytime shootings and drug deals increased as the police ignored criminal activities. Another shooting and other incidents threatened the city during the following months.
Although the city remained divided in many ways, officials focused on improving police training and updating equipment to prevent similar situations and to repair the relationship between government officials and residents. In addition, the Citizens Complaint Authority was created in 2002 to review serious uses of force by police officers. Data from the organization showed a decrease in the number of complaints against officers in the years following the riots.
Bibliography
Horn, Dan. “Cincinnati: 2001 Year of Unrest.” Cincinnati Enquirer. Gannett Co. Inc., 30 Dec. 2001. Web. 15 Aug. 2012.
Moore, Dan P. Mark Twain Was Right: The 2001 Cincinnati Riots. Lansing, KS: Microcosm, 2012. Print.
Predergast, Jane. “2001 Riots Led to Top-Down Change for Cincinnati Police.” USA Today. Gannett Co. Inc., 3 Apr. 2011. Web. 15 Aug. 2012.