Mother says indictment brings 'no peace'

Officer Stephen Roach

CINCINNATI, Ohio (CNN) -- The woman who lost her son in a Cincinnati police shooting last month said the indictment of the officer who fired the shots would not bring her solace. "It is very hard for me to call for peace, because right now, inside of me, there is no peace," said Angela Leisure, mother of 19-year-old Timothy Thomas.

A grand jury indicted city police officer Stephen Roach on misdemeanor charges in the killing of the unarmed black man that sparked four days of unrest in April.

Roach was charged with negligent homicide and obstructing official business for the April 7 shooting, Hamilton County Prosecutor Michael Allen said.

VIDEO CNN's Bob Franken reports on the aftermath of the grand jury indictment of a Cincinnati police officer in the shooting death of a young black man Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media) Hamilton County Prosecutor Michael Allen announces the indictment of Cincinnati Police Office Steven Roach Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)   RESOURCES State of Ohio v. Roach (Request for Issuance of Arrest Warrant & Indictment) (Findlaw) (PDF) Documents in PDF format require Adobe® Acrobat® Reader™ for viewing.     RESOURCE Chronology of Cincinnati unrest

The shooting sparked violent protests and vandalism that prompted officials to impose a citywide curfew and a state of emergency.

Thomas' mother described her feelings in the wake of the indictment as "borderline rage."

"It was a slap on the wrist," she said. "I don't feel like justice was served. I feel like that was not severe enough for the severity of what he did. He took a life."

Both the charges filed against Roach are punishable by a total maximum of 9 months in jail. Allen did not disclose details of the charges, citing grand jury secrecy rules, but urged community leaders to help keep calm in the city following news of the indictments.

"The only thing I can say and I can implore to everyone in our community, is to look at the case, look at the facts when it comes to trial. And I will say, that I think the grand jury made the right call in this case," Allen said.

Thomas was wanted on 14 misdemeanor counts, mostly traffic violations, when he was shot and killed as he fled police in Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine neighborhood.

In the hours leading up to the Monday evening announcement, the city braced for the possibility of more violence. None was immediately reported.

"Some people aren't going to like the fact that the officer got indicted at all," Cincinnati Mayor Charles Luken said. "Some are going to think it's not enough. I think all we can do is trust the grand jury process, respect the law and hopefully have calm tonight."

Thomas was the 15th black crime suspect killed by Cincinnati police since 1995. Some of the men were armed, but some, like Thomas, were not.

Indictments returned against Cincinnati police Officer Stephen Roach:   •  Negligent homicide, which alleges Roach negligently caused Timothy Thomas' death by means of a deadly weapon. The misdemeanor is punishable by up to six months in jail. Hamilton County Prosecutor Michael Allen refused to elaborate on how Roach's actions were considered negligent.   •  Obstructing official business, which alleges Roach impeded or hampered the investigation by giving differing accounts to investigators April 7 and April 10 of details surrounding the shooting. The misdemeanor charge carries a penalty of up to three months in jail. Source: The Associated Press

Allen said Thomas ignored orders to stop from several officers. Witnesses told police Thomas was wearing oversized pants and had his hands at his waist as he ran, he said.

Allen said the grand jury considered a variety of charges, including aggravated murder, voluntary and involuntary manslaughter, and reckless homicide. In the end, they opted for the least serious charge, which accuses Roach, 27, of displaying a "substantial lapse of due care" in the incident.

Allen said Roach gave differing statements to investigators during the course of the investigation, prompting the charge of obstructing official business.

Before Monday's announcement, U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft announced that he has authorized an investigation into whether the city's police department has shown a "pattern and practice" of racial discrimination, as critics charged during last month's unrest.

Justice officials told CNN that the point of the probe is not to prosecute but to correct any problems, and that the department will offer Cincinnati authorities technical assistance during the investigation.

In addition, the FBI is continuing to monitor the local investigation into Thomas' shooting, as well as the police shooting of a young woman with a "bean bag" ammunition after Thomas' funeral.

The FBI is also investigating reports of racially motivated violence by people involved in the post-shooting disturbances.

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April 15, 2001
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April 14, 2001
Cincinnati under curfew on eve of funeral for man slain by police
April 13, 2001
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April 12, 2001
Cincinnati mayor declares state of emergency
April 11, 2001
Protesters loot, set fires in Cincinnati
April 10, 2001

Cincinnati Police Division
U.S. Department of Justice
Federal Bureau of Investigation
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

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