Hamilton County commissioners demand written answers, schedule public update after Lincoln Heights and Evendale demonstrations

Hamilton County commissioners asked county administration and law-enforcement partners on Feb. 20 for a consolidated written report and a public briefing after videos circulated showing armed demonstrators on highway overpasses near Lincoln Heights and Evendale.

The board said it will host a meeting to receive updates from the sheriff’s office, Evendale police, the prosecutor’s office and the mayor of Lincoln Heights; commissioners asked administration to deliver written responses to their questions "by this weekend" and to prepare materials for the public meeting.

The call for a coordinated update grew out of multiple public and board office requests for clarity about what happened, who had jurisdiction, and whether state criminal statutes might have been violated. Commissioner Alicia Reese told administration she had gathered videos and resident questions and asked staff to consolidate them so the county could provide answers and not “be filibustered” with incomplete responses. "I just said anybody's got a video, anybody that has questions ... I had it all to Jeff Aludo so you could pull all those pieces together, and come with, some answers," Reese said.

County Administrator Jeff Aludo told the board he had met with the sheriff, the prosecutor’s office and Evendale officials and expected those agencies to attend the scheduled meeting. "I hope to have that to you by this weekend, certainly in advance of the meeting on the 25th," Aludo said, adding that some items cannot be answered publicly while investigations are active.

Commissioners said they want the meeting to be substantive and not merely a public relations event. Several commissioners emphasized the need for a written record of the facts the county can release and for hard copies for residents. Commissioner Summer Dumas asked for the administration to provide a status report within 14 days and flagged that her office had identified potential Ohio Revised Code provisions that might apply.

The sheriff’s office previously held a press conference and said some matters had been referred to the prosecutor’s office for potential criminal review. Commissioners said that while some investigatory details will be withheld for legal reasons, the county needs to publish what can be released now so the community understands the status of inquiries and next steps.

The board set the next meeting for the item and expects representatives from the sheriff’s office, Evendale, the prosecutor’s office and Lincoln Heights to attend. Commissioners said the session would be the start of an ongoing process rather than the final update.