(A) No person shall participate with four or more others in a course of disorderly conduct in violation of R.C. § 2917.11 or a substantially similar municipal ordinance:
(1) With purpose to commit or facilitate the commission of a misdemeanor, other than disorderly conduct;
(2) With purpose to intimidate a public official or employee into taking or refraining from official action, or with purpose to hinder, impede, or obstruct a function of government;
(3) With purpose to hinder, impede, or obstruct the orderly process of administration or instruction at an educational institution, or to interfere with or disrupt lawful activities carried on at the institution.
(B) No person shall participate with four or more others with purpose to do an act with unlawful force or violence, even though the act might otherwise be lawful.
(C) Whoever violates this section is guilty of riot, a misdemeanor of the first degree.
(R.C. § 2917.03) (‘97 Code, § 133.01)
(D) For the purposes of prosecuting violations of this section, the prosecution is not required to allege or prove that the offender expressly agreed with four or more others to commit any act that constitutes a violation this section prior to or while committing those acts.
(R.C. § 2917.031)
(E) A law enforcement officer or firefighter engaged in suppressing a riot or in protecting persons or property during a riot:
(1) Is justified in using force, other than deadly force, when and to the extent he or she has probable cause to believe such force is necessary to disperse or apprehend rioters;
(2) Is justified in using force, including deadly force, when and to the extent he or she has probable cause to believe such force is necessary to disperse or apprehend rioters whose conduct is creating a substantial risk of serious physical harm to persons.
(R.C. § 2917.05) Penalty, see § 130.99
Statutory reference:
Aggravated riot, felony provisions, see R.C. § 2917.02