Law enforcement officials near the Hamilton County Courthouse in Cincinnati are on high alert in anticipation of the verdict for Ray Tensing, an officer responsible for killed shooting Samuel DuBose during a traffic stop on July 19, 2015 for missing front license plates.
In addition to an increase in police presence, area schools, St. Francis Serap in Over-the-Rhine will be closed today, and DePaul Cristo Rey High School will receive an early dismissal at 2:30PM. Trash cans around the courthouse have also been secured, according to Cincinnati.com.
The city has also opened their The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) as a way for different departments to coordinate a response to any perceived threats to the public safety. Members of the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, Hamilton County Emergency Management Agency, Cincinnati police and fire departments, the Ohio State Highway Patrol are all involved in the activities coordinated by the EOC.
Protests outside of the courthouse have remained peaceful and are expected to continue as the Jury deliberates on the verdict. This may be in part due to meetings between civil rights organizations and and law enforcement in the weeks leading up to the trial.
Tensing has testified that his arm was caught in DuBose’s vehicle at the time of the shooting, however, according to CBS News. “The evidence is overwhelming that there was absolutely no justification” for shooting DuBose, Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters told the jury of 10 whites and two blacks.
Tensing was wearing a confederate flag tee underneath his uniform on the day of the shooting.
