A second suspect accused of being involved in an April 12 gun incident in downtown Cincinnati is now in custody and has appeared in court.
Police say Thomas Black V, identified in court documents, was arrested last week and arraigned on May 21. A judge set his bond at $20,000. The case stems from an early morning episode on April 12 on 7th Street near Main Street, where a gun was reportedly pointed at a passing car and a shot was fired toward a nearby parking lot. No injuries were reported.
According to police, Black and Montev Ware allegedly walked onto 7th Street near Main Street around 1 a.m., pointed a firearm at a vehicle driving by, then left the area in a car. Ware is also accused of firing a shot toward a nearby lot, according to WKRC. Local court filings state the confrontation followed a fight downtown, and investigators did not locate any victims with injuries. Ware was arrested on May 15 and had a $20,000 bond posted, while Black was arrested on May 20 and was charged with complicity on April 14, the station reports.
Complicity Charge Explained
Under Ohio law, a complicity charge applies to someone who solicits, aids, abets or conspires with another person to commit an offense, and it allows that person to be prosecuted "as if he were a principal offender." A conviction generally requires that the underlying offense was actually committed, according to Ohio Revised Code section 2923.03. The statute also provides an affirmative defense if the defendant completely renounced the criminal purpose before the crime occurred.
Case Status
Both defendants remain active in the court system. Black was arraigned May 21 and received a $20,000 bond. Ware’s bond was also set at $20,000 and has been posted, per WKRC. The Cincinnati Police Department and prosecutors have not released further public details, and the case remains pending in Hamilton County courts.
