Cincinnati Police Cannon Fires Police Chief Teresa Theetge!

Sour grapes. Cincinnati fires police chief. She sues the city.

While Dayton, Ohio loses its police chief Karmen Afzal, the city had replaced him with deputy chief Eric Henderson. Afzal is leaving with a track record of incompetence.

Down the road, the city of Cincinnati has fired their chief, Teresa Theetge. 

This is the aftermath of the Rodney Hinton, Jr. situation. After the Cincinnati Police killed his son, Ryan during a police chase, the city quickly cleared the cops. Hinton retaliated by killing a Hamilton County Sheriff constable. 

That controversy still lingers as Hinton is expected to go to trial this year.

Then the incident that happened between a white couple and Black residents after the Cincinnati JazzFest sparked controversy. It got the attention of local residents. Reps. Dave Taylor (R-OH), Warren Davidson (R-OH) and Greg Landsman (D-OH) spoke on it. Sens. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) and Jon Husted (R-OH) spoke on it. Even Vice President JD Vance, who lives in Cincinnati reacted.

Theetge was fired after Cincinnati mayor Aftab Pureval and city leaders have lost trust in her leadership. She is now suing the city for wrongful termination.

Pureval claims Theetge wanted $7.5 million of her contract. 

Theetge, Pureval said, had previously told the city manager she would step down but then changed her mind and demanded $7.5 million.

The city refused, Pureval said.

"My message to the taxpayers is we need the right people in the job," Pureval said. "And $7.5 million is a nonstarter."

City Manager Sheryl Long placed Theetge on paid leave in October after a double shooting on Oct. 13 on Fountain Square again again thrust the city into the national social media spotlight. Theetge's attorney and family have said the city made her a scapegoat ahead of the November election.

Pureval says chief ignored safety concerns

After several high-profile incidents, including the stabbing death of an Over-the-Rhine business owner and resident in his home in June and a brawl on Fourth Street in Downtown in July, Pureval publicly backed Theetge.

On Oct. 14, he wouldn't say whether he still had confidence in the chief. Theetge was placed on paid leave Oct. 20.

What changed between then? The chief failed to address the perception of safety in the city, Pureval said in the April 23 press conference.

He said the chief refused to fill walking and bike patrols. He also accused Theetge of refusing to collaborate, which echoed what the independent law firm FBT Gibbons, contracted by the city, concluded in a report released in March.

Pureval: 'I had been frustrated'

Pureval said he told the chief he’d find the money for the patrols, because it would help the public’s perception of safety in the city.

The chief, he said, never fully staffed those patrols.

"I had been frustrated throughout the summer last year that I communicated to her, to the administration, about the fact that we needed to deal with the perception of crime," Pureval said.

Theetge's attorney, Steve Imm, did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the $7.5 million request.

Pureval said Theetge is not a scapegoat and he doesn't blame her for crime in the city.

"What I hold her responsible for, though, is the response to that crime: proactive, innovative solutions, communication, partnership and collaboration," Pureval said. "And there just wasn't enough of that."

Pureval said what's next is up to the city manager

As for what's next, Pureval deferred that question to the city manager, who has the sole power to hire and fire police chiefs. Pureval praised Interim Chief Adam Hennie, who has led the department since October.

"Our new (Cincinnati Police) leadership understands that perception is a really important priority for us," Pureval said.

City Council members back Theetge's firing

Not every City Council member had a response to Theetge's firing. But the six who responded supported it.

• Councilwoman Anna Albi, in a statement texted to The Enquirer, said she felt the independent investigation and city manager's termination letter brought to light instances of Theetge's failed leadership. "While I respect and am grateful for former Chief Theetge's 35 years of service, it's clear to me that new leadership was needed," Albi said.
• Councilman Mark Jeffreys, in an interview with The Enquirer, echoed those sentiments. He said police have increased their walking patrols and traffic enforcement under Hennie's tenure. "I was out walking neighborhoods with him," Jeffreys said. "He goes out every week, walking in the business districts, in neighborhoods. That's the type of leadership we need. We weren't getting it before."
• Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney and Councilwoman Meeka Owens released statements that didn't criticize Theetge but supported the city manager in her decision. "People are looking for good guys and bad guys, but sometimes it's really about different visions and expectations for leadership," Kearney said.
• Owens said the city will be grateful to Theetge for her leadership but also said the city manager gave clear reasons for her decision. "While Manager Long was not required to provide cause for her decision, her remarks clearly outlined the reasons she believed a change in leadership was necessary," Owens said.
• Councilman Jeff Cramerding said he supports Long's decision and that it's not council's role to get involved in personnel decisions. He said the goal now is to manage the city's liability. He praised the decision of the city to hire employment attorneys from Jackson Lewis to advise the city at a cost of up to $50,000. "I think that obviously will be litigation," Cramerding said. "We did hire an outside firm to represent us. I think that was a wise move."
• Councilman Evan Nolan in a statement said he understands and respects the city manager's decisions. "The city manager's reasoning is clear to me and reflects my own personal past experience interacting with (police department) leadership."