Cincy FOP pushes for changes in juvenile courts after teen has SWAT standoff

The Cincinnati Fraternal Order of Police is calling for accountability on decisions made by the Hamilton County Juvenile Court after a teen was arrested Tuesday for a SWAT standoff that lasted hours.

Court records show the teen was charged with felonious assault and domestic violence less than a month ago, and juvenile court magistrate Kelly Rice released him.

" It is just a catch and release system ,” said Ken Kober, president of the Cincinnati Fraternal Order of Police. " When you have somebody that commits a violent crime only to be released back out into society, and then to reoffend in such a short time. You know, it's dangerous for the community. It's dangerous for the police.”

Kober said the juvenile court's decisions are endangering the public.

"There is certainly an agenda with the juvenile court system where they want to do everything they can to keep kids out of the justice system,” he said.

Kober said in principle, he agrees, but there are times kids need to be held in detention.

"There's no fear of any kind of discipline, whether it be at home or at school, or with the police,” he said. “And right now what we're seeing is just chaos.”

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Prior to the 16-year-old's arrest Tuesday, he was arrested for cutting his mother with a razor and breaking his father's ribs, just a few weeks ago, according to court documents.

"When you have kids that are committing violent crimes, and come from an unstable home, it's a recipe for disaster," Kober said.

A spokesperson for the juvenile court said they could not comment on pending cases.

According to court documents, the teen's guardian did not show up to court Wednesday. The 16-year-old, who is currently being held at the Hamilton County Juvenile Detention Center, said his guardian was incarcerated.

Kober said he believes the public should be aware of who’s being released and on what charges.

“You have a magistrate that's quoted, saying to a juvenile that sometimes it's okay to run from the police, “ he said. “That is only going to further embolden these teenagers to do whatever they want.”

According to the prosecutor's office, magistrate Diego Padro dismissed charges of obstructing official business stating, "in some situations, fleeing from police or making yourself scarce to the police is the right thing to do."

"For an officer of the court to tell a child that it is okay to break the law and run from the police," Kober said. "That's what we're dealing with right now as a society."

Since the case was dismissed, WCPO 9 reached out to the juvenile court to ask if Padro could provide more context as to what situations he was referring to. WCPO 9 also requested the transcript from that hearing.

The 16-year-old is scheduled to be back in court Thursday morning at 8:30 am.

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