CINCINNATI -- City officials met Monday to prepare "for any potential scenario" that could occur when Ray Tensing goes on trial next week for the death of Sam DuBose during a traffic stop, and now two local groups are preparing their own response.
The Amos Project is bringing together pastors and parishioners for a form of activism training, saying they stand with DuBose's family. The event is at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at People's Church (220 William Howard Taft Road).
In addition, Black Lives Matter Cincinnati will meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the University of Cincinnati's Steger Student Life Center. The group says while the university's police department has made strides, there is still a lot of community relations work that needs to be done.
Black Lives Matter leaders are asking students to join the fight as they plan for a march from 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday from Inwood Park to the courthouse Downtown. They say UC has tried to sweep student outrage under the rug.
On Tuesday, UC's police department told WCPO it has a new reform plan that's committed to six principles: transparency, legitimacy, accountability, fairness, collaboration and innovation.
The Black Lives Matter group is laser-focused on the Tensing trial, hoping for a conviction of murder and voluntary manslaughter. Tensing has pleaded not guilty in the July 19 shooting in Cincinnati's Mount Auburn neighborhood.
Tensing's attorney has said his client feared being dragged under the car as DuBose tried to drive away. He'd pulled DuBose over near campus for a missing front license plate.
The shooting came amid increased national attention on how police treat black suspects. DuBose was black; Tensing is white.
