By Dan Horn
and Gregory Korte
The Cincinnati Enquirer

COMPLETE COVERAGE

• Police wait to talk to investigators • Services and marches • Criminal case in prosecutor's hands Reader feedback: • Send us your thoughts • What readers are saying Infographic: • What happened, minute by minute From WCPO: • View the raw police video • Slide show of images from video

Cincinnati Police Chief Tom Streicher said Thursday he was "shocked" the first time he saw the video of six officers struggling with the 342-pound Nathaniel Jones.

"I have 33 years in, and I said, 'Oh my God. This is a hell of a fight,' " he said. "My initial reaction to it was shock - not because they did anything wrong, but because it was so violent."

While he cautioned that the investigation was not yet completed, Streicher continued to defend the actions of his officers based on the evidence he's seen so far.

"Even though it's ugly, even though it looks terrible, when I compare it to our policies, I don't see anything wrong there."

In a two-hour interview with The Cincinnati Enquirer Thursday, Streicher spoke in detail about the videotape. He gave his analysis of what he said the video shows, and explained why he believes the six officers who arrested the 41-year-old Jones on Sunday morning acted appropriately. Jones later died from the struggle, complicated by his history of heart disease and drug use, Hamilton County's coroner said.

Streicher spoke in defiance of a City Council majority that sharply criticized the chief and other city officials for speaking out too often and before all the facts are in.

"I can envision this incident being used in training 10 years from now - and not just here," Streicher said.

The chief's comments angered attorney Kenneth L. Lawson, who is representing Jones' family. Lawson said Streicher's continued public support for the officers is aimed at influencing the multiple investigations already under way.

"It's sad that he's sending out signals before the investigation is over with. He says, 'Don't pass judgment,' but he does it himself," Lawson said. "The chief is talking out of both sides of his mouth."

Lawson, Jones' family and others in the community have been critical of the chief and the officers' handling of Jones' arrest, saying officers provoked Jones into a conflict and used excessive force.

In his comments Thursday, Streicher attempted to respond to many of the questions and complaints raised during the past week:

• Why did the officers approach Jones?

Streicher said two witnesses, a mother and daughter, said the officers didn't taunt him.

"It was not, in my estimation, an arrest situation. Nor should they arrest him. But they do say, 'Hey, this guy needs some help.' And it deteriorates in a matter of seconds."

• Why didn't the officers back off after Jones attacked the officer?

"They had a legitimate authority - and in my estimation, an obligation - to arrest him in that situation. If you don't, who does he turn on next?" Streicher said.

• Why did officers use nightsticks - formally known as PR-24 batons - on an unarmed man?

"You are trying to protect yourself and overcome resistance," he said. "He is unarmed, but that doesn't mean he can't hurt you. A man of 350 pounds has tremendous strength, and officers didn't know he didn't have a weapon. It's a potential life-and-death situation."

• Why did officers jab Jones with their batons in a stabbing motion?

"The jabbing of the nightstick is intended to hit the nerves where they're most vulnerable," Streicher said. Police are trained to do this because it can temporarily paralyze a limb without causing permanent injury.

"How do you determine when enough is enough? That's something that has to be determined by the officers on the scene," he said. "There are rules of engagement. You can never hit him in the head. If it happens, it better be an accident, and there better be a good explanation."

• Why did officers stand around even as Jones' was having trouble breathing?

Streicher said the tape shows the opposite. He said officers had rolled Jones on his side to clear his airway and had brought a medical kit to the scene so they could begin mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

"There is concern for this guy. There is a genuine act of compassion," he said. During and after the struggle, officers remained professional, refraining from profane language.

"He's a liar," Lawson said. "This is ridiculous. Give me a break. If they were just doing their job, they would have cared and tried to protect his life."

Since Tuesday's national morning news shows, Streicher has been the public face of the Police Department. His high-profile defense of his officers has drawn renewed demands for his resignation. And some City Council members criticized him Wednesday for releasing surveillance pictures from the parking lot to Baptist ministers before City Council members could see them.

But Streicher said he was trying to bring the Baptist ministers "in the loop" - a lesson learned after four days of rioting following a police shooting in 2001.

"What we find so lacking in Cincinnati and across the nation is an understanding of what police do and why they do it," he said.