What is usually one of Over-the-Rhine's busier crossroads turned into a tense standoff Thursday evening, as a heavy police and SWAT response shut down the intersection of Liberty and Race streets while officers confronted a person reported to be armed and suicidal.
Police surrounded a vehicle at the intersection and spent an extended period negotiating with the individual inside, according to officers on scene. Eventually, officers removed the person from the vehicle, and medics took that individual to a hospital with what police described as life-threatening injuries. Sidewalks and traffic lanes around the immediate area were blocked off while detectives processed the scene and rerouted drivers.
WLWT reported that at least a dozen police cruisers and multiple SWAT vehicles converged on the site at Liberty and Race. An officer told the station the person at the center of the incident was both suicidal and armed. In its live coverage, the outlet noted that officers negotiated before pulling the person from the car and that the individual was then transported to the hospital.
Police Presence Tied To Downtown Safety Strategy
The sizeable tactical response did not come out of nowhere. It fits into a broader city safety plan that has put SWAT teams, the Civil Disturbance Response Team and a new street-crime task force into high-traffic downtown corridors, including the blocks around Race and Liberty streets, according to WCPO. City officials have said these units are meant to move quickly when incidents start to escalate during peak hours, which helps explain how many tactical officers showed up in Over-the-Rhine on Thursday.
Neighborhood Businesses And Drivers Disrupted
Alabama Fish Bar, the longtime corner spot at Liberty and Race, announced on social media that it was closing immediately because of the unfolding emergency, WLWT reported. The restaurant, listed at 1601 Race Street by CityBeat, was one of several nearby businesses and sidewalks that were briefly shut down while officers secured the area.
Police kept portions of Liberty and Race closed for hours as they collected evidence. There were no immediate reports of any officers injured. This story will be updated as police or city officials release additional information.
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