NEWS

Mother at funeral: 'I want justice for my son'

Chris Graves, and Sharon Coolidge
Cincinnati
Audrey DuBose, the mother of Samuel DuBose, gets a hug after her son's funeral Tuesday.

AVONDALE - For 87 minutes Tuesday, anger stayed on the other side of the church door.

Instead family and friends of Samuel Vincent DuBose shared laughter and poetry, Scripture and songs. They shed tears. And they, too, summoned strengthen.

They remembered DuBose not as the unarmed man shot and killed by University of Cincinnati police officer Ray Tensing during a traffic stop on July 19 in Mount Auburn, but as a father, a son, a brother, a cousin, a grandfather. He was as well a lover of music, a rapper, the founder of a black motorcycle gang and the kind of man whose smile lit up a room.

He was laid to rest as officials continue their investigation into the shooting and as the community calls for more information into the death, including the release of the officer’s body camera video of the shooting, which the Hamilton County prosecutor said is vital to the case.

UC Police Chief Jason Goodrich said Officer Tensing spotted DuBose driving without a front license plate at Vine and McMillan near the UC campus and followed him about a half-mile.

Tensing asked for a driver’s license, which DuBose couldn’t produce. He gave the officer an unopened bottle of alcohol instead, Goodrich said.

The two men struggled at the door of the car, and Tensing fired once, fatally striking DuBose in the head, Goodrich said. The car traveled a block farther before coming to a rest on the narrow sidewalk at Rice and Valencia, authorities said.

Many in the community question that version of events.

“Despite all the things going on outside, we are not going to dismiss that,” said the Rev. Ennis Tait during the start of funeral services for DuBose at Church of the Living God in Avondale. “But for a few minutes we are going to celebrate the life of Samuel DuBose. It’s not about religion today. It’s about unity. Today is about solidarity ... About coming together today.”

Tate called for the congregation to celebrate DuBose’s life and to support his family:

“C’mon, c’mon, c’mon. Fill this house with love.”

And they did.

To a first cousin, he was the man who had the heart of a lion and who was a protector.

To Al Jenkins, he was the founder of “The Ruthless Riders,” a motorcycle club. He was Big Dude. He was the guy in the room “who on your worst day is going to make you smile.”

To his mother, Audrey DuBose, he was her complicated, challenging oldest son, her second of five children.

“He loved life. He loved freedom. He was impossible,” she told the congregation as they nodded in agreement and laughed. “But he brought me so much joy. As much aggravation as he brought, he brought joy.”

The crowd that sat shoulder-to-shoulder in the standing-room-only sanctuary seemed to appreciate that one man can be many things in life.

Audrey DuBose shook her head as she recounted how he harped about folks valuing the wrong things, materialistic things. “But he was just as materialistic.”

But what the father of 10 and grandfather of four loved most was family.

“He brought all his babies home to me ... He was going to make sure someone was left here for me,” she continued. “Praise God!

“I loved my son, God knows I loved my son,” she said. “But I’m going to be all right. Sam is already all right.”

Cincinnati Police Chief Jeffrey Blackwell talks to a supporter of Samuel DuBose after attending his funeral.

Blackwell: ‘I’m sorry for your loss’

More than 500 people attended the service, which was preceded by a visitation. Among the mourners were Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley, City Manager Harry Black, state Sen. Cecil Thomas, UC President Santa Ono and Cincinnati Police Chief Jeffrey Blackwell. DuBose was buried at Landmark Memorial Gardens in Evendale.

Blackwell, who hugged some and shook the hands of many, said the large turnout was important.

“This shows the unity and strength of our city and community, the resistance of the people and love for our city,” Blackwell said before he left the church. In full dress uniform, Blackwell sat with the ministers facing the DuBose family for the first 30 minutes of the service after he expressed his condolences to family members. Hundreds filed by the black casket that was adorned with a spray of red mums. Most greeted DuBose’s expansive family.

City Manager Harry Black offered condolences to the DuBose family at the visitation.

DuBose attended Mount Healthy High School and later became a rapper and music producer in Cincinnati, according to the funeral program. He worked on his music or developing other artists in his studio. He was an entrepreneur and a motorcyclist enthusiast, the program said.

Friends and family of Samuel DuBose grieve outside of his funeral.

Outside scene peaceful

Before, during and after the services a small but vocal group of people formed near the intersection at Harvey and Forest avenues. Some carried signs and a few held megaphones. They all demanded answers and details about the shooting.

“This is democracy. This is what democracy looks like,” said December Lamb, a member of Black Lives Matter. “I ain’t anti-cops at all. We need good cops. We don’t need bad cops.”

Some people compared the incident to the death of Timothy Thomas in 2001. Thomas was shot by a Cincinnati Police officer during a foot chase through Over-the-Rhine. He was unarmed. In that case, peaceful protests turned into three days of unrest in Over-the-Rhine as the community demanded answers from police and city officials.

Tuesday was meant for burying her son, Audrey DuBose said. But it was clear she wants answers.

“I don’t know anything. I haven’t been told anything,” she told members of the media. She said she wants to see an indictment in the death.

“I want them to go to jail. I want them locked up. There is no justice if someone can get away with murder and walk away.”

Her daughter and DuBose’s older sister, Terina Allen, added: “We don’t want riots. We are peaceful.”

Before the doors opened to let the congregation head outside and while Tate still had the pulpit, he offered one final message:

“God has called us,” he said microphone in hand. “The time for you to speak the truth about injustice is now. No more excuses. There is no reason we shouldn’t be standing together.

“If we can stand together in here, we must stand together out there.

“If we can be united in love and peace in here, we can be united in love and peace out there.”