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American Morning

Tensions Simmer in Cincinnati After Grand Jury Indictment of Police Officer

Aired May 08, 2001 - 10:10   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Now to Cincinnati, where all is quiet for now. Tensions, though, are still simmering there after yesterday's grand jury indictment of a police officer who shot and killed an unarmed black teenager. That case ignited widespread protests and violence last night. The indictment fueled similar concerns because it involves only misdemeanor charges.

CNN national correspondent Bob Franken is in Cincinnati he has more from there. Bob, good morning.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And Daryn, for a combination of reasons, the reaction was much more subdued, just sporadic confrontations between people who were angry over the extent of the indictments again Officer Stephen Roach and their aspirations. They had hoped that they would be much more severe.

But there was no real violence here at all, and none is expected now. Roach was indicted for two misdemeanor counts, include negligent homicide. The two counts could require, if the maximum penalty was given, is nine months in jail if, in fact, he was found guilty at trial and the maximum penalty was given.

There are any number of people in the African-American community who are demanding much more severe penalties, and they came out in a group of about 150 to 200 and marched around the city for a while, oftentimes taunting the police. They came to the police department right in back of me, and for a while were shouting slogans before they, in fact, spread out and gave up.

They, in fact, had been organized by clergy people who decided that this was a much better alternative than the violent demonstrations that happened a month ago after 19-year-old Timothy Thomas was shot and killed by policeman Stephen Roach. Now, one of the people who has advocated peaceful resistance all along has been Timothy Thomas' mother, Angela Leisure.

But after the grand jury indictments came out yesterday, she changed tone.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANGELA LEISURE, THOMAS' MOTHER: I can't sit here and say that my whole entire heart is for peace right now, because that's not how I feel. I'm not going to lie to the public and I will not lie to myself. That is not how I feel. My feelings are borderline rage.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRANKEN: Now, Roach has to, at some point, turn himself in to get process, to use the official description of it. That has not happened, to the best of our knowledge. As you can imagine, Daryn, his lawyer is not publicizing the time when that will happen -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Understandable. Bob Franken in Cincinnati. Thank you.

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