COLUMBUS – About 150 people gathered on the steps of Columbus City Hall for a vocal, but peaceful, demonstration protesting the police shooting of a 13-year-old boy and the killing of other civilians by officers in Columbus and elsewhere.
Chanting “No justice, no peace” and “Whose streets? Our streets,” the demonstrators criticized the Columbus city administration and the police for supporting a system that is “systemically, biased, racist and violent.”
The group called for an independent investigation into the shooting, demanded that Officer Bryan Mason, who police say shot Tyre King while pursuing robbery suspects be charged with reckless homicide and drug-tested.
Records obtained by the Associated Press on Monday show the Mason met or exceeded standards in a recent performance evaluation. The evaluation notes that Mason maintains composure under stress and demonstrates “exceptional verbal skills” in defusing “potentially hostile situations.”
A nine-year veteran, Mason is on administrative leave during the internal investigation of the shooting.
The shooting has sparked a debate over the city’s safety. Mayor Andrew Ginther said in the wake of the shooting that Columbus is the safest big city in America, yet some don’t agree.
“Our communities are increasingly feeling militarized and so, unfortunately for a lot of black and brown residents, it doesn’t feel safe. It’s definitely not the safest big city in America for us,” said Amber Evans, of the People’s Justice Project and an organizer of the event.
Overall, the crime rate in America’s 15th-largest city is relatively low. Its homicide rate has hovered below 100 in recent years. But community leaders say there are deep divides between neighborhoods, and some said they don’t feel protected by the city’s police.
The group sent a list of demands to Columbus City Council, asking that resources be shift from “prisons and police to prevention and programs.”
They are asking that residents take charge of the Summer Safety Initiative anti-crime effort and that a panel be formed to oversee the city’s safety budget, with more emphasis on criminal justice reform and violence prevention.
They promised to be at next Monday’s council meeting to get a response.