LINCOLN HEIGHTS, Ohio — Days after a neo-Nazi demonstration in Lincoln Heights, residents are still wondering what happened and reeling from the impact the group has had on their community. WCPO has gone through body camera footage and released information from the Evendale Police Department, Hamilton County Sheriff's Office and Village of Lockland. Here is everything we know at this time:
When did a neo-Nazi group first appear on the overpass?
Evendale police said they first became aware of disturbances near the I-75 overpass on Victory Way at around 2:06 p.m. Friday. WCPO received several calls into the newsroom at around the same time reporting that there were armed men with flags showing swastikas on the sidewalks.
Who responded to the scene?
Hamilton County sheriff's deputies and Evendale police said they responded to the overpass. Mutual aid was requested, and during that time, the Village of Lockland said one of their police units responded to the scene to help.
Did police have prior knowledge of the demonstration?
Evendale police stated the neo-Nazis did not apply for a permit nor did they tell police ahead of time. The department states it had no contact with the neo-Nazis until arriving on the scene Friday. Lockland police also had no awareness of the demonstration beforehand, the village's mayor said.
Watch our previous reporting on the neo-Nazis here:
Why was the road blocked?
Evendale police said officers who arrived at the overpass saw residents both on foot and in vehicles approaching the neo-Nazi demonstration. At that time, the department said its officers "re-positioned themselves and their vehicles to keep the groups separated from each other to reduce the likelihood of violent confrontations."
Newly released body camera footage shows the moment an officer tells the other officers at the scene they need to block the overpass.
Were there any arrests?
Neither the neo-Nazi demonstrators nor the residents protesting were arrested. Evendale police said officers determined that "while offensive" the neo-Nazi demonstration was not unlawful because they were located on the sidewalk and not blocking traffic.
Police noted Ohio law prohibits the driver of a vehicle from allowing passengers to ride in a cargo area. The neo-Nazis were seen via body cam footage and traffic cameras leaving the seen in the cargo area of a U-Haul, which would break Ohio Revised Code statute 4511.51. Evendale Police Chief Tim Holloway said in a release Tuesday only the driver would have been cited with the misdemeanor so "the overwhelming public safety concerns of this situation outweighed any potential positives associated with issuing a single traffic violation."
Evendale police said on Tuesday they are continuing to review the incident and if they do determine that criminal or traffic charges should be made, they will speak to the Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office.
Was the demonstration legal?
The First Amendment protects the freedom of speech. Freedom of speech does not include the right to incite imminent lawless action, say fighting words or make or distribute obscene materials, per the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. A Supreme Court case from 1977 about an Illinois village blocking a Nazi demonstration included the decision that the display of the swastika is not "fighting words," referencing another case regarding a protest in California."
"To many, the immediate consequence of this freedom may often appear to be only verbal tumult, discord, and even offensive utterance. These are, however, within established limits, in truth necessary side effects of the broader enduring values which the process of open debate permits us to achieve," the Court wrote in Cohen v. California.
Evendale police referenced court cases on Tuesday, saying law enforcement best practices states "the content of the speech or the message does not provide the basis for imposing limitation on these rights."
The First Amendment also protects the freedom of assembly. Freedom of assembly does not protect assemblies that are violent protests, illegal acts and blocking traffic. No violence occurred during the demonstration. No illegal acts were reported, either. Traffic was blocked but by police, not the neo-Nazis.
Did police escort the neo-Nazis out of the area?
Evendale police said one of the neo-Nazis told an officer they wanted to leave but the U-Haul they brought was located behind the residents protesting them. Officers at the scene did work together to allow the U-Haul to get onto the overpass "so that the original demonstrators could leave the area."
"Again, this was a decision based upon its value to de-escalate the situation and maintain public safety," Chief Holloway said Tuesday.
A photo circulating social media over the weekend showed a police cruiser was later in front of the neo-Nazis' U-Haul in the nearby village of Lockland after the demonstration. Mayor Mark Mason Sr. said in a release over the weekend that the single Lockland police unit that responded to the demonstration did not escort the neo-Nazis nor is it the vehicle in the photos.
The police officer that was spotted near the U-Haul was an Evendale officer following the vehicle after it left the overpass who saw it exit into Lockland. That officer made contact with the neo-Nazis and told them to "leave the area," both Evendale and Lockland officials said.
Watch our breakdown of the body camera footage here:
Why was a Jeep towed from the scene?
A release from Evendale police and body camera footage shows the vehicle was connected to the neo-Nazis. Police said one of the men told an officer while they loaded up their U-Haul that a vehicle belonging to them, which had a service animal inside, needed to be retrieved. Police told the man it would not be safe to retrieve it and advised the group to leave.
The driver of that abandoned vehicle was taken to the Evendale Police Department by an officer after officials said "it was determined there was no safe way to retrieve the vehicle."
Where did the neo-Nazis go?
Evendale police said Tuesday the U-Haul the neo-Nazis left in was last known to be heading toward a hotel in Louisville, where the neo-Nazis were reportedly staying.
Why are there more reports of armed men on the streets of Lincoln Heights?
Residents and passersby have seen a group of armed, masked men patrolling the streets. The men did not want to be interviewed but indicated to WCPO they were from in and around Lincoln Heights. The patrols came the same day the sheriff's office met with community members who told them they felt they were responsible for their own safety in the wake of the neo-Nazi demonstration.
Watch our story on the armed men below:
What happens next?
Democratic Rep. Cecil Thomas has proposed an investigation into all police actions around the event, a review of all facts and potential new laws if there weren't enough legal ways for police to disrupt the neo-Nazi gathering before people from the area could confront them.
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