No charge sought in death of trapped teen

CINCINNATI — The Hamilton County prosecutor announced Thursday that no one will face criminal charges for the failed response to a 16-year-old student who died trapped in a minivan parked near his school.

Prosecutor Joe Deters said his office thoroughly reviewed the Cincinnati police and county sheriff’s investigations and two independent reviews that were contracted by the city. Deters expressed sympathy Thursday for Kyle Plush’s family while concluding that no charges were appropriate in his death.

Meanwhile, a special Cincinnati City Council committee meeting went over the outside reports on the responses of the emergency center and police. Plush’s family took part and continued to express frustration with incomplete explanations of what happened and with the slow pace of reform.

“I think we all feel as though there is more work to be done,” said Ron Plush, Kyle’s father. “We need to do this for Kyle.”

Ron Plush found his son dead, pinned in the minivan’s rear, on April 10 — nearly six hours after the first of Kyle’s two 911 calls. The coroner said he asphyxiated from chest compression.

“I have no reason to believe ... that this couldn’t happen again,” Ron Plush said Thursday.

Councilman Christopher Smitherman, who chaired the meeting, pledged to continue working to make improvements. Another meeting on the issues is scheduled for Dec. 10.

The city has been upgrading smart-phone communications, computer-assisted dispatch, police in-car mapping and training.

Ron Plush said that although the family is “encouraged by the willingness to take a critical look” at how to improve the system, they have unanswered questions.

Two officers sent in response to the student’s first 911 call drove through parking areas around the school but didn’t get out. Police have said they didn’t have the information needed to narrow their search.

Plush’s family suggested that all the officers had to do was get out of their cruiser and shout out to other students that they were looking for Kyle Plush, and students would have pointed them toward his vehicle.