Protestors, police cruiser crash mar periphery of Obama visit

CINCINNATI - At least two people were removed by Cincinnati police from Sunday night’s appearance by President Obama at the University of Cincinnati, while another man was arrested for driving through a police barricade connected to the event.

One of those removed was Rives Miller Grogan, an anti-abortion activist from Los Angeles, who once disrupted a Cincinnati Reds game.

Grogan began yelling Sunday from a seat in the upper level of UC’s Fifth Third Arena shortly after Obama began speaking around 8:20 p.m.

Obama initially tried to ignore Grogan, but briefly stopped his remarks as Grogan wrapped his arms around a railing and struggled with security personnel who were trying to eject him. At least five officers were needed to pry Grogan’s hands loose and remove him from the arena.

Grogan is best known locally as the man who ran onto the field at Great American Ball Park during a Reds playoff game on Oct. 9. During that incident, Grogan carried a sign that stated, “abortion is sin.” He was detained by sheriff’s deputies and charged with trespassing and resisting arrest.

Additionally, Grogan previously has been interrupted proceedings of the U.S. Supreme Court when the justices were reviewing abortion-related cases.

While the crowd of roughly 15,000 people waited inside the arena for Obama’s arrival, a man was arrested for allegedly driving drunk on Interstate 71 near the UC campus, bypassing a barricade erected on the highway and hitting a police cruiser.

Brian M. Ramirez, 36, of Cincinnati, was driving a Honda Accord on I-71 around 7:40 p.m. when he ignored commands from police and drove onto a portion of the roadway that was closed due to Obama’s visit, and struck the cruiser, according to police reports. No one was injured in the incident.

Ramirez refused to take a blood-alcohol test at the scene but police detected a strong odor of alcohol on his breath, reports stated. Ramirez was arrested and charged with operating a motor vehicle while impaired, refusing to take an alcohol test and reckless operation of a vehicle.

Obama left Cincinnati without incident and traveled to Aurora, Colo., where he gave another speech at a community college.