Some Lincoln Heights residents Thursday asked Hamilton County commissioners to further investigate a February neo-Nazi rally.
During that incident, a dozen masked demonstrators held white supremacist flags and brandished weapons on the highway overpass between the village and Evendale. They left after they were confronted by people living in Lincoln Heights, as well as by law enforcement.
Both the Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office and Evendale officials commissioned investigations into the incident and found the hate group likely didn't break any laws.
Prosecutor Connie Pillich's office considered whether charges were possible for disorderly conduct, inducing panic, rioting, ethnic intimidation, criminal damaging, violating anti-mask laws, advertising on a public highway, riding in a cargo storage area, protesting without a permit, and unlawful congregation on sidewalks or public grounds.
"There were just such a variety," Pillich told reporters earlier this month. "We looked at all of these. And not only did we look at the exact letter of the law, but we looked at how that law has been applied in previous cases. That's how we came up with the contents of the report."
But Lincoln Heights residents aren't so sure. They point to an incident in which the armed hate group's U-Haul truck stopped in a school zone in nearby Lockland, and claims that neo-Nazis pointed a gun at a someone during their demonstration.
Resident DeRonda Calhoun told commissioners they should dig deeper.
"What they provided that day was a hate crime," she said. "There was nothing for them to be protesting other than everyone's existence."
Lincoln Heights resident and activist Daronce Daniels told commissioners investigations by Evendale and the Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office didn't ease fears in his community. He wants to know what more can be done.
"We would just like to know next steps, because the community is scared, the community is nervous, the community is very anxious right now," he said.
Commissioners commended residents for speaking their minds and advocating for their community. Commissioner Alicia Reece said she understands concerns, but there is likely a limit to what commission can accomplish.
"I think we've maxed out in terms of what we can do," she said. "We're not an investigative body. I can't arrest anybody."
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