Last night in Cincinnati, residents came together as a community to show support for a man named Samuel Debose who wrongfully lost his life. After being pulled over for not having a license plate earlier this month, the 43-year-old was shot in the head by University of Cincinnati Police Officer Ray Tensing without provocation. After reviewing the evidence, including Tensing's body camera footage, Hamilton County Prosecutor Joseph Deters pressed a felony murder charge, along with a voluntary manslaughter charge, at a Wednesday press conference.
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"I've been doing this for over 30 years," Deters told the press. "This is the most asinine act I've ever seen a police officer make. Totally unwarranted… It's an absolute tragedy and that in the year 2015 that anyone would behave in this manner. It was senseless… It's just horrible."Tensing has turned himself in and has been fired from his job.A rally began soon after at the city's courthouse, passing along the Central Parkway and continuing up Vine Street—where some of Cincinnati's most visible gentrification has occurred. Protesters chanting "Black Lives Matter" and "I am Samuel Dubose" passed high-end restaurants whose patrons made their way outside with camera phones at the ready. Then they made their way to Police District 1 and stood in front of the doors, where they were met by a line of armed officers. There was some serious tension in the air—some cops wouldn't remove their hands from their guns and seemed to have an overwhelming sense of fear about them. But as protesters began making snide comments to the officers, rally organizers led the procession back to the courthouse, where things settled down.It was beautiful to see so many different people come together and march for all of our freedom. It's horrible that it takes something so tragic to bring us all together.Check out more of Catherine Viox's work here.
All photos by Catherine Grace
