Internal reports Clear Cinci Police in Brutal Beating Death of Nathaniel Jones

Six Cincinnati police officers involved in the November death of an obese, intoxicated man in a White Castle parking lot did nothing wrong and should be exonerated, according to two police department reports. The officers' actions in the death of Nathaniel Jones were consistent with department training, policy and procedures, and with applicable laws, according to the internal investigation of the incident. Chief Tom Streicher signed off on it Wednesday. He also wrote a second report to City Manager Valerie Lemmie in response to last month's recommendations by the independent Citizen Complaint Authority. The conclusions in the police reports differ dramatically from those drawn by the authority. The independent review board recommended that Lemmie "severely discipline" three of the officers for using excessive force. Lemmie has not decided on discipline, if any, and said she will first consider all reports and recommendations. Streicher's report says the authority should review police policy and federal law so its analyses are based on the U.S. Constitution, "rather than the subjective opinions of untrained evaluators." [more ]

• See Video of beating [more]
• FBI Probes Death of Natheniel Jones [more]