CINCINNATI — Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey is calling on Ohio lawmakers to create stricter laws more than a week after a neo-Nazi demonstration happened on an I-75 overpass that connects Evendale and the Village of Lincoln Heights.
McGuffey said on Tuesday she wants state lawmakers to implement harsher legislation for "hate speech" and to make it a crime to wear a mask while carrying a firearm for purposes of intimidation.
The incident happened on Friday, Feb. 7, when a group of people displayed swastika-emblazoned flags and a banner with white supremacy messaging on it from an overpass along I-75. McGuffey said many of the individuals with the flags were also masked and openly carrying rifles.
You can learn what McGuffey wants done in the video below:
When the group first appeared, Hamilton County dispatchers said police responded to the scene and were working on "keeping the peace."
Evendale police said they became aware of "an unannounced protest" on the sidewalks of the overpass. Hamilton County sheriff's deputies also responded to the scene. Police stated previously in a news release the protest, while very offensive, was not unlawful.
"It might be legally protected speech but it is not OK," McGuffey said on Tuesday.
The incident sparked controversy in the Lincoln Heights community, including a "rolling car protest" on Monday and a community meeting with the sheriff.
According to McGuffey, the group intimidated the community, which was unacceptable. Residents were seen carrying rifles and patrolling the streets of Lincoln Heights, including the intersection that overlooks the I-75 overpass where neo-Nazis rallied on Feb. 11.
The identity of the neo-Nazi group is still unknown and untraceable law enforcement says.
“We do not have any specific intel on that U-Haul as far as where it was rented from," McGuffey said. "Someone might even own it, I don’t even know. We’re working on that.”
McGuffy said the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office has placed extra patrols and personnel in Lincoln Heights. She mentioned law enforcement would not be caught off guard and would know how to handle it if a similar incident happened again.
Attorney Joshua Evans told WCPO McGuffey's request comes with legal questions
"A police officer would have to guess that person’s intent," Evans said. "But when it goes to court how do you make that case beyond a reasonable doubt? You can do a time, place and matter restriction where it’s not content-focused. ... A lot of times those ordinances are constitutional. It’s a ticking time bomb. Somebody that could be having a bad day or one of these neo-Nazis or anybody that’s doing speech that you don’t like.”
McGuffey said she has contacted the FBI Cincinnati office and the Ohio Bureau of Investigations about the demonstration. McGuffey also said the sheriff's office is working with Hamilton County prosecutors.
Investigators are trying to identify the individuals who participated in the demonstration and determine whether they are affiliated with a larger group.
“This is a group of men who are intent or intimidation and hate tactics," McGuffey said. "By all accounts, it’s a small group and I’m not going to give them any satisfaction by saying they have any larger affiliation with anyone — it’s a bunch of cowards.”
