The Associated Press
CINCINNATI (AP) -- The Police Department withdrew permission Thursday for the television show “Cops” to record officers on the job, a day after some City Council members complained it could undo progress made since the city’s 2001 race riots.
On Tuesday, crews from the show began a planned eight weeks of taping Cincinnati officers for the program, which depicts police from cities nationwide on patrol and making arrests.
Several council member complained Wednesday that police Chief Thomas Streicher Jr.'s decision to allow the crews to ride along with officers could generate footage of street arrests that could bring the city more bad publicity.
“The decision to allow the ‘Cops’ television program to film Cincinnati police officers has been rescinded,” Lt. Kurt Byrd, a police spokesman, said Thursday. He declined to elaborate.
City officials say they have begun improving education and job opportunities for black residents and sponsored ongoing programs in which citizens and police work together to fight crime.
The city had three nights of riots in 2001 after a white officer shot to death an unarmed black man wanted on misdemeanor charges when he ran from police. The officer was cleared of charges at trial.
Cincinnati received more unwanted publicity when a black man died in police custody Nov. 30 after a videotaped struggle with officers who repeatedly struck or jabbed him with metal nightsticks to handcuff him after he lunged at them.
The Hamilton County coroner said the struggle caused the death of Nathaniel Jones, 41, but that the 350-pound man also suffered from an enlarged heart, obesity and had intoxicating levels of drugs is his blood that contributed to the death. The county prosecutor ended his investigation in March by saying that officers lawfully defended themselves.