Amid calls for his resignation and after nearly a week of violent protest over police shootings of African-Americans, Public Safety Director Kent Ryan stepped down Friday for health reasons. But some Cincinnati council members said Mr. Ryan, who was hospitalized Monday with chest pains, is the first victim of a political fire storm.

Kent Ryan stands at right, behind city manager John Shirey, surrounded by an angry crowd at Monday's city council meeting. (Joseph Fuqua II photo) | ZOOM |

        “I don't think Kent Ryan should be made a scapegoat,” said Councilman Pat DeWine. “If you want to blame someone for the way this has been handled, then you ought to blame the city manager.”

        In a memo to council members Friday afternoon, City Manager John Shirey said Mr. Ryan was being reassigned to an undetermined post and that Police Chief Tom Streicher will continue as acting safety director.

        “Kent Ryan has asked me to relieve him of his duties ... and I have agreed to do so,” Mr. Shirey said.

        Because of proposals to change the way the city hires police and fire chiefs, Mr. Shirey said he will hold off filling the job.

        City officials this week said they want to give the city manager power to hire and fire the chiefs rather than have the chiefs selected from officers recruited up through the ranks. A majority of council members also said this week they want to eliminate the safety department, calling it an unnecessary layer of bureaucracy separating them from the police division.

        On Monday, two days after an unarmed man was killed by a police officer in Over-the-Rhine, Councilwoman Alicia Reece asked the manager to fire Mr. Ryan.

        At the time, Mr. Shirey said that would be a mistake.

        Ms. Reece said Friday that she was glad Mr. Ryan stepped down.

        “I don't think it's a feeling of being happy, it's more about this being the right move for the administration to take,” she said. “It's more about being responsive to the citizens.”

        Ms. Reece said Mr. Ryan wasn't being made a scapegoat. But this week's explosion of violence illustrates deep-seated community re sentment toward police that his office did not address, she said.

        “This is a time for new leadership,” she said. “We need an approach that will bring black and white together.”

        Mr. Ryan told the Enquirer Friday that he had asked for a reassignment before Ms. Reece made her demand. He said the job isn't worth his health, but made it clear that he has every intention of returning to work for the city.

        “I have to worry about protecting myself and my family right now,” the 56-year-old said. “For over two weeks I've been ill and suffering chest pains. I attempted to take time off, but was interrupted because of events, including the shooting death of Timothy Thomas.”

        When he was hired in 1996, Mr. Ryan said residents could expect to see him out in neighborhoods, riding along with police officers or firefighters and working with church leaders.

        “You'll find me deeply rooted in a community-oriented style,” he said at the time.

        When citizens seized con trol of a city meeting on Monday, several African-American leaders demanded Mr. Ryan's resignation.

        “It's extremely symbolic,” said Black United Front leader Rev. Damon Lynch III, who has also called for the resignations of the city manager and police chief.

        “Why them? This is happening under their watch,” he said Friday. “The police chief and the fire chief answer to Ryan. He answers to Shirey.”

        The black community for years has called for civic leaders to address concerns about the police division. But, he said, little has been done.

        If Mr. Ryan hadn't left office, the Rev. Mr. Lynch said he would have encouraged immediate economic sanctions, specifically the cancellation of black conventions.

        Councilman Phil Heimlich said Ms. Reece and the Rev. Mr. Lynch are at least partly responsible for encouraging protest, but they have since called for peace.

        “They are among those who incited the crowd at Monday's meeting,” he said, adding that the Rev. Mr. Lynch threatened to block exits to council chambers and that Ms. Reece excited the crowd by demanding answers from city administrators.

        “(Mr. Ryan) wasn't the one who incited the crowd at that meeting. He wasn't the one going around accusing the police of murdering 15 African-Americans,” Mr. Heimlich said.

        Before coming to Cincinnati, Mr. Ryan worked in Atlanta; Gwinnett County, Ga.; and Richmond, Va., which have significant minority populations.

        “It is his decision,” Mayor Charlie Luken said. “That's what I want to underscore. I've known for over a week that he asked to be reassigned.”

        The resignation “is an opportunity for us to respond to citizens' concerns about police-community relations,” the mayor said. “We might be able to effect change.”

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