Planned protest of Cincinnati man's death canceled at family's

CINCINNATI -- A weekend rally planned to protest the death of a black man following a struggle with police was canceled Saturday at the request of the man's family.

The Rev. Calvin Harper, president of the Baptist Ministers Conference of Greater Cincinnati and Vicinity, said the group would not march on city hall today to protest the death of Nathaniel Jones.

At a memorial service Saturday, Jones, 41, was remembered for his kindness and quick smile. About 500 people attended the service.

Jones, 41, died after a scuffle with police early last Sunday in the parking lot of a fast-food restaurant. The direct cause of death was the struggle, the autopsy showed, but Jones suffered from an enlarged heart, obesity and had intoxicating levels of cocaine, PCP and methanol in his blood.

His death has focused attention on the racial divide in Cincinnati, which was torn by riots in April 2001 after a white police officer shot an unarmed black man who fled arrest. Jones' family, particularly his grandmother Bessie Jones, has urged the black community not to turn to violence.

To avoid conflicting with the service, two activist groups delayed until today a joint news conference they planned in front of police headquarters to announce their own investigation.

"We're going right to the doorstep of the criminals," said Malik Zulu Shabazz, a Washington, D.C., attorney and president of Black Lawyers for Justice. "This shows absolutely a pattern of police activity."

Jones' family has commissioned a private autopsy and hired an attorney who said there will be an independent investigation.

A police cruiser videotape of the struggle showed Jones lunging at one of the officers and knocking him over before police tackled him and struck him several times with metal nightsticks. Five of the officers were white, and one was black.

Leaders of the police union said the six officers had the right to defend themselves.

Activists say police taunted or provoked the unarmed Jones, but two witnesses denied that, said Keith Fangman, the police union's vice president. The videotape showed an officer instructing Jones to back up before he lunged.

Activists say Jones had not been accused of a crime and have called for a federal investigation.

The Justice Department said it is gathering information. Also investigating are the Hamilton County prosecutor, police internal affairs division and an independent citizens' panel.