By Janice Morse
The Cincinnati Enquirer

HAMILTON - In a bit of morning rush-hour drama, police officers chased and tackled a fleeing Butler County jail inmate on Wednesday on High Street.

Traffic on the city's main thoroughfare was forced to a halt - "and the motorists who were stopped and couldn't go anywhere while this was going on actually gave them a round of applause," said Police Chief Neil Ferdelman.

Police say Nolan Smiley, an auto theft suspect, made the mistake of trying to in front of fleet-footed officers, including Hamilton Municipal Court Bailiff Garry Day. An ex-Hamilton officer, Day runs long-distance to stay fit; Smiley, 49, is 5-foot-11 and weighs 250 pounds.

"He stood little to no chance of escaping from Garry Day," said Officer Don Taylor, city police spokesman.

Day had help from six other officers, including Detective David Weissinger. The detective had just finished buying his morning cup of coffee from the Government Service Center's first-floor snack shop.

"He turned around and noticed Nolan Smiley, in jail attire, bounding down the escalator," Taylor said. "He dropped his coffee and briefcase, and sprinted after the fleeing suspect - and lost one of his very nice loafer-type shoes while hurdling the concrete embankment in front of the building."

Weissinger retrieved his wayward shoe, then helped tackle the suspect. He is getting a commendation from Ferdelman for his efforts; Smiley, however, is facing an additional charge: escape. His attorney, Greg Peck, declined to comment.

Smiley, who has served two prison terms for drug offenses, "has been a frequent 'customer," Ferdelman said.

Smiley's city arrest record fills four computer screens and dates to 1974, Ferdelman said.

Before police arrested Smiley on Nov. 4 on the auto theft charge - for which he was appearing in court Wednesday - he tried to run from officers, then, too, Ferdelman said.

E-mail jmorse@enquirer.com