FAQ's:

Q: Why has it taken so long for the village to speak out against hate?
A: Our immediate priority was to ensure public safety and then conduct a review of our actions. Initially, we did not fully understand the visceral reaction of our community, and we take full responsibility and apologize for not speaking out sooner. Silence is often seen as agreement, and that is the furthest from the truth. We are using this moment to strengthen the connections between our communities, reaffirm our commitment to justice, and stand united for dignity and respect. We remain resolute in our determination to unequivocally condemn hate in all its forms.

Q: It appeared as though your officers were defending members of the Nazi group. How do you respond to that?
A: Officers were attempting to de-escalate the situation. Emotions were running high, and there was a potential for violence. Some of the videos being shared online and in the media show snippets of a much longer interaction. That being said, we recognize the deep concerns raised by the actions taken that day and are committed to addressing them in a respectful and transparent manner. We are reviewing our response and are committed to openness throughout this process. As a start, we will be uploading all 16 hours of body camera footage from our officers to YouTube.

Q: Why did your officers direct the U-Haul van to a school parking lot instead of running them out of town?
A: Officers were trying to separate the groups as far apart as possible and lead them to a less visible area to further conduct their investigation. We recognize and agree with the school board’s outrage. This is part of the actions we will be reviewing from that day.

Q: Do you understand the optics of an officer escorting a Nazi group member in a village-owned police vehicle to get his car?
A: Absolutely. At that moment, the officer thought he was doing the right thing in trying to clear the area of the hate group. Our commitment to our communities is to provide space to address these and other concerns and make it clear that our police department and elected officials reaffirm our commitment to justice and stand united for dignity, respect, and condemnation of hate in all forms.

Q: What if the Nazi’s return?
A: We are actively planning and coordinating with all our partners to protect constitutional rights and everyone's safety and security. We will make every effort to keep people informed in real time about any future incidents. For more information, we recommend following the village’s Facebook account.

Q: Do you understand the frustration of the Lincoln Heights community at the officer’s inability to arrest, cite, or otherwise limit this incident?
A: We completely understand the intense frustration of the citizens of Lincoln Heights and Evendale, who observed the hateful actions of the Nazis and who expected police intervention. We are reaching out to all affected communities to share the details of our response, what our legal limitations were, and to better understand their concerns.

Q: Does Evendale support Nazis or sympathize with Nazi ideology?
A: Evendale condemns the behavior and ideology behind this rally in the strongest possible terms. It separates, demeans, and victimizes individuals and communities, something we strongly denounce. We stand united with Lincoln Heights and our neighboring communities in our support of equality and unity in our communities. Nazi ideology, racism, white supremacy, and hate have no place here.

Q: Is this incident being reviewed?
A: Yes. We understand the necessity for an impartial review of this incident. We will be transparent and accountable to our local communities. The Village is actively looking to bring in an independent, third-party investigator to review all the events that transpired on February 7th, 2025. We will provide an update as soon as we have a third-party investigator identified. We also commit to full transparency in this process and will release the entirety of their findings publicly as soon as the review is completed.