Rioting, looting charges pushed
A pair of southwest Ohio lawmakers want to strengthen the laws in situations that involve riots or looting with a new criminal charge while protecting the First Amendment rights of peaceful protesters.
State Reps. Sara Carruthers, R-Hamilton, and Cindy Abrams, R-Harrison, introduced House Bill 784 this week that would create a new riot assault charge if a person engaged in an aggravated riot recklessly causes physical harm that is punishable by a fifth-degree felony. Charges would elevate to a fourth-degree felony if the alleged assault is against a law enforcement officer and a third-degree felony if the law enforcement officer is seriously injured.
The bill also increases penalties for vandalizing property and obstructing roadways during a disorderly assembly.
“It’s a small faction that wants to cause destruction and stir up things, and really they’re ruining the message (of those) who want to peacefully protest,” said Carruthers, who was re-elected to a second term in Columbus earlier this month. “We have protesters on a regular basis here at the Statehouse and they’re fine. This (bill addresses) a completely different thing.”
Abrams was an officer on the Cincinnati police force during the April 2001 riots following the shooting death of Timothy Thomas, a 19-year-old Black man who was unarmed when shot by a police officer.
“I lived it,” she said. “(Police officers are) out there protecting everyone peacefully protesting because that’s a First
Amendment right and we’re happy to be able to do that. But when someone makes the decision to throw that brick, or fire a gun into the crowd, at a police officer or whatever, that’s where you ramp it up to a whole other level of not peaceful.”
Abrams and Carruthers started to work on the bill after rioting occurred in Columbus as people protested the killing of George Floyd.
The lawmakers hope the bill is fast-tracked during the General Assembly’s lameduck session as they see this as a bipartisan bill. Only Republicans have signed onto the bill as of Wednesday, and the bill has not yet been assigned to a committee.
Contact this reporter at 513-820-2175 or email michael.pitman@ coxinc.com.