DAYTON — Community members are demanding action, claiming a man shot and killed by Dayton police last week should’ve never been pulled over.
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As previously reported, Dayton police stopped Reginald Thomas, 44, for not having a light on his bicycle at night on March 24.
The incident happened on St. Clair Street, with the traffic stop near E 2nd Street and the shooting up near E 3rd Street.
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The coalition of racial justice groups that spoke out Monday afternoon at Dayton City Hall.
“We want justice, and he deserves justice,” Zakiya Sanbara-Jabbar said.
Sanbara-Jabbar is executive director of Racial Justice Now.
She believes Thomas may have been racially profiled and should not be stopped.
“We want to know why he was stopped on a bicycle, minding his own business. There were no victims; there was nobody that we know of that called police on him,” Sanbara-Jabbar said.
Speakers from several organizations in this coalition expressed anger over Thomas’ death. They want elected leaders to step in.
“Take out the trash and something because if you won’t give us accountability, these angry communities are sooner or later going to get their own accountability,” Sabrina Jordan said.
“We are tired of unnecessary police encounters that escalate instead of de-escalating,” Carlos Buford said.
As previously reported, Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal showed body camera video at a community briefing the day after the shooting.
He said the officer stopped Thomas to inform him that it is required to have a light on a bicycle at night.
The chief said these don’t usually involve even a ticket, just information sharing.
But Thomas told police he didn’t have a gun and tried to pull out his ID. Eventually, he ran away, causing police to chase and tackle him.
A gun came out, leading to a struggle and the deadly shooting.
Speakers at the coalition believe Black men are being targeted.
“We are in trouble on an RTA bus, we’re in trouble walking, and now we’re in trouble being on bicycles. The bottom line is, we ain’t going to keep being your trouble,” Reverend Jerome McCorr said.
On Monday afternoon, Dayton Mayor Shenise Turner-Sloss released the following statement related to the shooting:
“My thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by last week’s officer involved shooting on Tuesday, March 24, 2026. I recognize that this situation has caused concern and distress throughout our community.
As Mayor, I want to assure you that this matter will be investigated fully, thoroughly, and with complete transparency. We will follow the evidence wherever it leads.
I also want to clarify that the statements made by the Chief of Police during the press conference on March 25, 2026, were only the beginning of this process and not its conclusion. The investigation will be conducted by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and the Professional Standards Bureau. It will also include a review by the Independent Accountability Auditor.
We are committed to ensuring that this process is fair, impartial, and guided solely by facts. This commitment applies not only to this investigation but to all services we provide to the community.
While the investigation is ongoing, I ask for your patience and understanding. I know many have formed opinions, but I encourage everyone to allow the process to move forward so that the full truth can be established.
This administration remains fully committed to transparency, accountability, and strengthening a mutually respectable community-police relationship based on respect, fairness, and open communication."
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office is conducting a criminal investigation into the shooting and will present the facts to the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office.
An internal administrative investigation will be conducted by the Dayton Police Department’s Professional Standards Bureau.
News Center 7 will continue to follow this story.
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