Police union to fight further interviews in teenager’s death

CINCINNATI — After last week’s release of two independent reports regarding the death of 16-year-old Kyle Plush, the teen’s family called for officers to be reinterviewed.

The Cincinnati police union president says “no.”

In a news release Monday, Sgt. Dan Hils said it is time for the investigation into Plush’s death to end.

The 16-year-old became trapped in his van in April in the parking lot of Seven Hills School. He was able to call 911 twice. Police were sent to the area but did not find Plush. His body wasn’t located until hours later.

The Cincinnati police conducted an internal investigation. The city hired two consultants to handle independent investigations into the police response and the 911 call center.

In a Law and Public Safety Committee meeting Thursday, the Plush family said the reports were not enough and relied too heavily on the police department’s own internal investigation.

Kyle Plush’s parents, Ron and Jill Plush, said independent interviews of the officers and the 911 center workers should have been done. They also called on the city to work harder and faster to improve the call center.

“The continuing series of investigations are not productive,” Hils said. “My personal opinion is that this political theater and blame game is also not helpful to the Plush family or their grief and healing process.”

Hils said three separate investigations have cleared the police officers of any “willful negligence.”

“They also have been traumatized by Kyle’s tragic loss and deserve closure,” Hils said. “The Fraternal Order of Police and its legal team will resist any further interviewing of the officers involved.”

The Law and Public Safety Committee has three members: Vice Mayor Christopher Smitherman, Amy Murray and Jeff Pastor. Smitherman and Murray did not respond for requests to comment on Hils statement.

Pastor agrees with Hils that the investigations should be closed.

“My heart aches for Kyle Plush and my deepest sympathies go out to his family, but the professionals have finished three investigations,” Pastor said.

He said the city is continuously working to improve the 911 center, but the individuals involved have been cleared of any serious wrongdoing.