The FBI said Tuesday it is investigating whether any civil rights
violations occurred in the death of a black man who was repeatedly
struck by police with metal batons. The FBI will report the findings
from its preliminary inquiry to the Department of Justice's civil
rights division, which will decide whether a full investigation is
justified, said Michael Brooks, a spokesman for the FBI's Cincinnati
office. He refused to give further details. The Cincinnati chapter of
the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People called
for a federal investigation months ago, alleging that police used
excessive force Nov. 30 on Nathaniel Jones, 41, of Cincinnati. Video
from restaurant surveillance cameras and a police cruiser showed that
Jones knocked over one officer before others jabbed or struck him more
than two dozen times with nightsticks. The 350-pound Jones stopped
breathing shortly after he was handcuffed. Last week, a police watchdog
agency concluded that officers used excessive force, saying they could
have backed off and allowed Jones time to comply with their commands.
The city manager will decide whether the officers should be
disciplined. [more]
A big question in the Jones death involves a 97-second gap near
the beginning of the tape. Before the gap, the police can be seen
talking to Jones; afterward, he charges at them. Many black community
leaders contend those missing seconds might have shown that police
provoked the attack. [more]
On Monday Court TV released what
they call an "unedited version" of the video. However, this tape is
simply longer than what had been previously been shown. The begining
portion of the tape is still missing. See the tape here [more]
