After neo-Nazi rally, armed civilian group now patrols Ohio town. ‘We are the police’
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In the wake of a neo-Nazi rally, a group of armed citizens is now patrolling the Ohio community that endured it — and while some see the impromptu militia as heroes, others say the situation is putting them on edge, news outlets report.
On Friday, Feb. 7, a group of neo-Nazis emerged out of a U-Haul truck on an Interstate 75 overpass near Lincoln Heights, hoisting flags bearing swastikas. Area residents confronted the extremists, and the rally quickly grew into a tense standoff with police and deputies swarming the scene, body camera video shared by the Evendale Police Department shows.
See the video here. Warning: The video contains language some may find offensive.
But in the days following the clash, men toting long guns — sometimes wearing masks and clad in black — began patrolling Lincoln Heights, a suburb of Cincinnati. Nearly two weeks later, they’re still vigilant.
“I thank God for them,” local business owner Eric Ruffin told WKRC, referring to the group dubbed the Lincoln Heights Protectors.
Ruffin was trying to drive across the overpass during the rally but got stuck in the crowd as the neo-Nazis shouted slurs at him, he told the station.
Knowing there are now members of his community standing watch makes him feel safer.
“I’m grateful that they’re out there doing that. I wish I could disagree with it. I wish I could say it’s irresponsible or not a good look for our community,” he said. “But this morning, I stopped and gave them coffee and a hug because clearly, neither Evendale nor the sheriff’s department believes what happened was illegal.”
Lincoln Heights residents were outraged not only by the presence of the neo-Nazis, but also by what some see as inaction on the part of law enforcement, as none of the Nazis were arrested. Residents have been vocal enough to prompt a public explanation by the neighboring Evendale Police Department, which said the neo-Nazis didn’t break any laws.
Officers were “charged with providing for the safety of EVERYONE,” the statement read. “They did this cognizant that one of the groups was heavily armed with multiple firearms and that tensions among opposing groups were escalating.”
Neighborhood militia
Dozens of 911 calls have been made from Lincoln Heights regarding the armed men, including several confrontations, The Cincinnati Enquirer reports, citing recordings obtained from police.
Drivers have reported being stopped and questioned by armed men, and others say people have been approached while waiting in line at fast-food drive-thrus, according to the outlet. A reporter with the newspaper was also stopped by the group, which let him pass after checking his media credentials.
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Jim Meister, the owner of a Lincoln Heights business, said he went to investigate a car parked in a vacant, fenced-off lot next to his business, and three men got out and threatened to shoot him, the outlet reported. He was on the phone with a 911 dispatcher at the time and the call recorded part of the conversation, with Meister telling the men he was talking with police.
“We are the police. What’s wrong?” one of the men said. “We’re protecting Lincoln Heights.”
The situation apparently deescalated when police arrived and explained that Meister owned the lot, the outlet reported.
“I think the police are afraid to do something because they don’t want to cause any problems,” Meister said. “But what they’re doing down there is a (criminal) offense. You can’t threaten someone and say, ‘I’m going to shoot you.’”
The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, which also responded to the neo-Nazi rally, said it was unaware of the situation but added, “We don’t want neighborhood militias.”
It’s unclear if and when the group will disband. The answer may largely depend on the local law enforcement and whether they can win the trust of Lincoln Heights, WCPO reported.
“What we saw … was an act of terror,” Lincoln Heights Missionary Baptist Church pastor Julian Cook told the station.
The armed group declined to talk with the TV station, but asked Cook to speak in their stead.
“What became clear … is that there has been a pretty significant deterioration in the relationship with the sheriff and the community,” Cook said. “That’s why people feel they don’t trust the law enforcement that exists in the community.”