Board findings on Nathaniel Jones Police Killing rejected

Cincinnati Cops Beat Black Man to Death on Videotape. No Officers Disciplined

Just weeks away from the first anniversary of Nathaniel "Skip" Jones' death while in Cincinnati police custody, City Manager Valerie Lemmie is rejecting a civilian oversight board's findings and won't impose any discipline against officers involved in the incident. The city's Citizen Complaint Authority -- which reviews allegations of misconduct and excessive use of force by police -- recommended in August that three officers receive "severe disciplinary sanctions" for their roles in Jones' death. But Lemmie, who makes the decision on discipline, agreed with the Cincinnati Police Department's internal investigation that officers didn't violate any policies when handling Jones. Instead, officers should receive additional training on how to avoid positional asphyxiation, or suffocation, with handcuffed suspects who are obese or have certain medical conditions. "While the death of Mr. Jones is tragic, I do not believe our officers violated CPD policy," she said. Jones' death was the first major case reviewed by the Citizen Complaint Authority, which was formed in early 2003 as part of a settlement of a racial profiling lawsuit against police. An attorney representing Jones' family in a federal lawsuit against the city noted that police already had received a training bulletin from the chief on positional asphyxiation before the Nov. 30, 2003, incident. Jones, who weighed nearly 350 pounds, stopped breathing after he was handcuffed and placed on his stomach in a parking lot after a scuffle with officers. "How much training does it take to read a memo from the chief?" asked attorney Kenneth Lawson. "What additional training does Valerie think these officers need?" [more]