By Jane Prendergast
and Gregory Korte
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Cincinnati City Councilman David Pepper told police he was abducted at gunpoint Thursday night by two masked men who got into his car and forced him to withdraw money from an ATM.

Pepper

The incident started at 7:30 p.m. Police wouldn't say where, but dispatch reports indicate it was somewhere in Mount Adams, where Mr. Pepper lives.

It ended about 9 p.m. when Mr. Pepper, a lawyer for Squire, Sanders & Dempsey, called police from his downtown office.

"He was with his abductors for some length of time," police spokesman Lt. Kurt Byrd said. "He's talking to officers and he's giving us everything we need to know."

Lt. Byrd confirmed that money was taken. He would not say how long Mr. Pepper spent driving around with the men.

Lt. Byrd said there was no extensive description, but dispatchers told officers the men wore masks and sunglasses. The abductors bailed out of the car in Mount Adams, dispatch reports said.

The councilman's vehicle, a green Ford SUV, was towed from the Walnut Street law office to be checked for evidence. Police considered it a crime scene, Lt. Byrd said.

Early this morning, Mr. Pepper was still talking to detectives in the Criminal Investigation Section.

Mr. Pepper "seems in very good spirits," Lt. Byrd said. "He seems unharmed."

Mr. Pepper, 31, is the son of former Procter & Gamble Co. chairman and CEO John Pepper. A Democrat, he is serving his first term on City Council after becoming the top vote-getter in last year's election.

E-mail jprendergast@enquirer.com and gkorte@enquirer.com