NEWS

Ex-UC officer charged with murder expected to testify at trial

Kevin Grasha
kgrasha@enquirer.com
Ray Tensing

The former University of Cincinnati police officer charged with murder in the shooting of an unarmed motorist is expected to testify in his own defense at a trial now set for Oct. 24.

In a pretrial motion, Ray Tensing's attorney, Stew Mathews, listed Tensing among more than 20 witnesses he anticipates calling at the trial.

Among the potential witnesses are Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters, UC President Santa Ono as well as numerous police officers.

Tensing, 26, is charged in the July 19 shooting death of Sam DuBose, which happened during an afternoon traffic stop near UC's campus. He remains free on a $1 million bond.

The trial date was set Thursday at a hearing before Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Megan Shanahan. Tensing was not in the courtroom and has not appeared for any pretrial hearings. Another pretrial hearing is set for April 6.

Kimberly Thomas of Clifton holds a photo of Samuel DuBose outside the Hamilton County Courthouse after the arraignment for Ray Tensing, the former University of Cincinnati police officer charged with murder for his shooting death.

Deters is listed as a witness, Mathews said in an interview, because of public statements he made "about the legality of the traffic stop, which I think he has since taken back."

"One of the things we want to show is that the initial traffic stop was legal and proper," Mathews said. "Who better to establish that than the chief law enforcement officer of the county?"

Mathews cautioned that the witness list includes potential witnesses, and does not guarantee someone will be called to testify.

Deters has said he will personally prosecute the case, and Mathews acknowledged that there likely would be backlash if he indeed calls Deters to testify.

Also at Thursday's hearing were the mother of three of DuBose's 12 children, Dashonda Reid, and Kelli Prather, who is running for one of Ohio's seats on the U.S. Senate.

Dashonda Reid (left) and Kelli Prather talk outside Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Megan Shanahan's courtroom

Both said they were outraged that Tensing, who is white, has remained free on bail.

"If the roles would have been reversed, Mr. DuBose would have been in jail by now," Reid told reporters outside the courtroom. "There wouldn’t have been a bail."

"If the shoe were on the other foot, a black man would be incarcerated," Prather added. "DuBose would be incarcerated."

Mathews has said Tensing fired a single shot because he feared for his life.

Tensing had pulled over a car DuBose was driving because it didn't have a front license plate. Tensing's body-camera video of the incident shows him talk to DuBose for nearly two minutes. After DuBose re-starts the car and appears to put it in gear, Tensing reaches into the car with his left hand. Tensing then shoots DuBose in the head with the gun in his right hand.

Mathews has said Tensing was dragged when DuBose tried to drive away. An independent report about the incident commissioned by the university found that the car accelerated only after DuBose was shot and his foot pressed down on the gas pedal.