Civil rights activists call on prosecutor for third trial

CINCINNATI » Civil rights activists and other community leaders Friday joined the family of an unarmed black man killed during a traffic stop in calling for a third trial of a white former police officer.

Donyetta Bailey, president of the Black Lawyers Association of Cincinnati, said at a press conference that the Ray Tensing case shouldn’t end without justice. Two juries have deadlocked on the charges of murder and voluntary manslaughter in the July 19, 2015, fatal shooting of Sam DuBose.

“We’ve yet to get a fair trial,” Bailey said. “It shouldn’t take three, but if it takes three, if it takes four, then we need to do it.”

Cincinnati area leaders of the NAACP, the Urban League and the National Action Network were among other participants.

Prosecutor Joe Deters could announce his decision next week on whether Tensing will be tried again. Judge Leslie Ghiz has scheduled a July 24 meeting on the case. Tensing’s attorney, Stewart Mathews, has asked the judge to dismiss the charges.

The since-fired University of Cincinnati officer, now 27, has testified that he feared for his life when DuBose, 43, tried to drive away from the stop for a missing front license plate.

Activists said Friday they have filed a complaint with the city body that investigates allegations of police misconduct. They said they filed the complaint against a Cincinnati police officer who testified during the second trial that the shooting may have been justified.