City leaders call to cool police–NAACP feud

Columbus city leaders are trying to contain a widening public fight between the head of the local police union and the incoming leader of the NAACP after days of dueling statements, petitions and demands for an apology. The dispute centers on Fraternal Order of Police Capital City Lodge No. 9 President Brian Steel and attorney Sean Walton, the recently elected president of the Columbus NAACP branch. Their latest clash followed the May 7 conviction of former Franklin County sheriff’s deputy Jason Meade on a reckless-homicide charge in the 2020 killing of Casey Goodson Jr. By May 16, local officials were publicly urging both men to lower the temperature, according to local reporting. ### How did this latest fight start? Jason Meade was convicted on May 7 of reckless homicide in Casey Goodson Jr.’s death, while a mistrial was declared on a murder charge, according to NBC4. Sentencing is set for June 16. In remarks after the verdict, Steel targeted Walton, who represented the Goodson family during the trial, calling him a “poverty pimp” and referring to his clothing and shoes. (usatoday.com) Sean Walton responded by saying Steel was working to divide officers and residents rather than bring them together. NBC4 reported Walton said, “Officers and the community do stand together,” and added that calls for accountability were not an attack on police. ### Who are the two men at the center of it? Brian Steel is the president of FOP Capital City Lodge No. 9, the Columbus-area police union. (nbc4i.com) Sean Walton is a civil rights attorney and the recently elected president of the Columbus NAACP branch, according to multiple local reports. The feud did not begin with the Meade verdict. (nbc4i.com) USA Today and other local reports described a broader public back-and-forth between Steel and Walton over policing, officer safety and community trust in recent weeks, including after an April 29 shooting of a Columbus police officer. ### What reaction did Steel’s comment trigger? (dispatch.com) An online petition posted May 11 called for Steel’s removal as union president, saying his remarks were derogatory and damaging to police-community relations. NBC4 reported the petition had more than 3,300 signatures as of May 11 evening, while a counter-petition supporting Steel had 1,700. ABC6 also reported competing petitions, with supporters citing Steel’s 25-year law-enforcement career and opponents accusing him of deepening an “us versus them” divide. (usatoday.com) The central Ohio chapter of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, or NOBLE, added to the pressure on May 13. The group said Steel’s remarks were “racially insensitive” and called for a public apology, according to 10TV. ### What has Steel said since then? (nbc4i.com) Brian Steel told 10TV his remarks “had absolutely zero to do with race” and said they were aimed at people and organizations he believes profit from division in struggling communities. He also said he remained willing to engage in dialogue and hear differing perspectives. (10tv.com) USA Today reported on May 16 that Steel had doubled down on the “poverty pimp” remark, while Walton rejected a private sit-down. That left city leaders publicly calling for peace rather than announcing any formal mediation plan. ### Why are city officials speaking up now? Mayor Andrew Ginther announced on May 14 that Police Chief Elaine Bryant would serve a second five-year term, praising her record on public safety and police-community relations. (10tv.com) In that announcement, Ginther said the relationship between officers and the community had grown stronger under Bryant’s leadership. The timing put renewed focus on whether the public feud could undercut that message. (usatoday.com) Chief Elaine Bryant’s standing in local law-enforcement and civic circles also intersects with the dispute. An AOL pickup of local reporting noted Bryant is a member of NOBLE, the group that called for Steel to apologize. ### What happens next? June 16 is the next concrete date in the underlying case, when Jason Meade is scheduled to be sentenced in Franklin County, according to NBC4. (spectrumnews1.com) Any formal effort to cool the dispute appears, for now, to remain in the realm of public appeals by city and community leaders rather than a publicly announced mediation process. (nbc4i.com) (aol.com)