315.11 CONDUCT OF PUBLIC DURING AN EVENT OR SPECIAL EVENT.

   (a)   Interference. No person shall unreasonably hamper, obstruct, impede or interfere with any event, or event assembly or with any person, vehicle or animal participating or used in the event or special event.

   (b)    Driving through the Event or Special Event. No driver of a vehicle except a police car or other public safety vehicle shall drive between the vehicles or persons comprising an event when such vehicles or persons are in motion and are conspicuously designated as an event or special event.

   (c)    Parking in the Event or Special Event Area. The Chief of Police shall have the authority when reasonably necessary, to prohibit or restrict the parking of vehicles along a street or other public thoroughfare or part thereof constituting a part of the route of an event or special event. The Chief shall post signs to such effect, and no person shall park or leave unattended any vehicle in violation thereof. No person shall be liable for parking on a street or other public thoroughfare unposted in violation of this chapter.

   (d)   Possession of Dangerous Weapons. No person participating in, present at or within 500 feet of an event or special event and while in a public place, shall possess a dangerous weapon of any kind as defined below (with the exception of firearms as defined by Ohio R.C. 2923.11, part of a firearm, its components, or its ammunition). For purposes of this section the term "dangerous weapon" shall be defined as any device designed or capable of being used to inflict serious injury upon a person or property, including but not limited to knives of any kind or any type having a blade in excess of three inches in length, razors and razor blades, chains, metallic knuckles, slingshots, clubs, blackjacks, night sticks, mace, dynamite cartridges, bombs, grenades, mines and other powerful explosives, loaded canes and caustic substances. For further purpose of this section, a club includes any metal pipe or rod of any thickness, and any wooden instrument or device thicker than one (1) inch or wider than three-fourths (3/4) of an inch, or a flashlight in excess of eight inches.

   This restriction shall not apply to the following persons while acting lawfully and within the scope of their duties and authority:

      (1)    Law enforcement officers;

      (2)    Officers and soldiers of the armed forces, militia and National Guard;

      (3)    Students of military science in an accredited program who are participating in the event;

      (4)    Event or special event participants who have secured from the Chief of Police a written permit to discharge for pageantry purposes during the course of such event blank-loaded ceremonial cannons, black powder muskets and like or similar firearms and weapons. Such written permit shall require that:

         A.    A written application for carrying and/or discharging blank-loaded dangerous weapons shall be filed with the Chief of Police not less than fourteen (14) days or not more than sixty (60) days before the date on which it is proposed to conduct the event or special event.

         B.    The written application contains the following information:

            1.    The name and address of the organization or group requesting the permit;

            2.    The names and addresses of the individuals participating who will be carrying or discharging the devices;

            3.    A description of the types of items that will be discharged including the type of powder or explosive material to be used;

            4.    A statement as to whether or not the group or individual has liability coverage against all hazards arising from the discharge of blank loaded ceremonial cannons, black powder muskets, like or similar dangerous weapons;

            5.    A declaration that such items are experienced with the use of items and practice safety precautions as associated with the items and any explosives; and

            6.    A statement that no items will actually fire or eject a missile capable of causing injury or damage.

   (e)    Hand Carried Signs or Posters. No person participating in, present at, or within 500 feet of an event or special event and while in a public place, shall possess or carry signs or posters of a metallic substance and no such sign or poster shall be of greater thickness then eight-ply .030 cardboard. No support for such sign or poster shall be of a metallic substance or thicker than one inch or wider than three-fourths of an inch.

   (f)    Personal Conduct. No person shall throw or cause to be thrown any rock, piece of metal or other hard object at any police officer, motor vehicle, event participant or onlooker upon a public street, sidewalk, park or other public facility.

(Ord. 2011-4-26. Passed 4-13-11 ; Ord. 2019-12-142. Passed 12-11-19; Ord. 2022-4-28. Passed 4-13-22.)