Timothy Thomas

Nineteen-year-old Timothy Thomas was unarmed when Cincinnati officer Stephen Roach shot him while pursuing him on misdemeanor warrants in April 2001.

What happened

On April 7, 2001 Timothy Thomas ran from police officers in Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine neighborhood. He was wanted on misdemeanor warrants, many linked to traffic violations. Officer Stephen Roach pursued him into a narrow passageway and shot him; Thomas had no weapon. His killing intensified anger over the Cincinnati Police Department's repeated fatal encounters with Black residents and sparked several days of protests and civil unrest. Thomas's mother and local civil-rights advocates demanded an accounting of why an unarmed teenager had been killed over minor alleged offenses. The crisis contributed to negotiations among community advocates, civil-liberties representatives, city leaders and police that produced the Cincinnati Collaborative Agreement on police practices in 2002.

Investigation & findings

Roach was charged with misdemeanor negligent homicide and obstruction of official business. The shooting was a catalyst for the city's Collaborative Agreement; the mere filing of charges should not be described as a conviction.

What happened

Investigation & findings

Sources & records