Officials
in Cincinnati, Ohio have declared a state of emergency as
a result of violence in response to the shooting death Timothy
Thomas, a 19 year old un armed African-American male.
"I appear
before you this morning with a very heavy and sad heart,"
Cincinnati Mayor Charles Luken told a news conference, "because
despite the best efforts of people of good will in our city,
violence on our streets is uncontrolled and it runs rampant."
City officials have also met with the Ohio National Guard
to determine whether they need their assistance.
The state of
emergency was declared after a police officer was shot.
According to published reports, the police officer’s belt
buckle took the bullet and the officer is in stable condition.
Police were
chasing Thomas in an attempt to arrest him for failing to
appear in court for various misdemeanors and traffic violations.
Officer Steven Roach’s union claims that the officer feared
for his life.
Speaking exclusively
to allhiphop.com, Cincinnati native Hi-Tek
said "All I can say is that it’s long over due. Not
promoting violence, but we got everybody’s attention. WHAT!!
This is the only city(Cincinnati) that allows the KKK to
put up a cross every year right downtown. The people are
tired."