University of Cincinnati Shooting

A University of Cincinnati campus police officer shot Samuel DuBose, whose car was pulled over for a missing license plate. A video taken from the officer's own body camera led people to consider the shooting "purposeful." A grand jury has indicted the officer for murder. If he is convicted, he faces 15 years to life in prison.

Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters has been outspoken about the situation. 

In a news conference, Deters, who is a University of Cincinnati graduate, criticizes the UC police force: 

"I graduated from UC twice, it's a wonderful university, I love their president, but they're not cops. And we have a great police department in Cincinnati, probably the best in Ohio. And I talked to the chief about it today, and I said 'you guys should be doing this stuff.' And I think he's in agreement with it.

"The university does a great job educating people, and they made a lawyer out of me, kinda, and that should be their job. Being police officers shouldn't be the role of this university. I don't think so. Now, they can interview these guys and I'm sure they have great cops in the university police department, but they should be held to the same standard, and if they were with the CPD, they would be held to the same standard in training CPD officers are. And I think it would be a good thing for the university."

Deters also says, "I've been doing this for over 30 years. This is the most asinine act I've ever seen a police officer make. Totally unwarranted. It's an absolute tragedy in the year 2015 that anyone would behave in this manner. It was senseless, and I met with the family just moments ago. It's just horrible."

Nothing appears on UC's website, including "News," which is prominent on its home page. 

Discussion Starters: 

  • Should UC post something on its website? If so, what and where should it be placed?
  • Is Deters doing the right thing? What's the relationship between a city's and a university's police force?