# 400 lb. man killed by cops **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 1, 2003, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/400-lb-man-killed-by-cops/216268 "2003-12-01T15:25:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/400-lb-man-killed-by-cops/216268/1 "2003-12-01T15:25:32Z")
Just caught a bit of this on the morning news. Some 400 lb. guy got arrested, then went wack, then got beaten to death by cops. Cops acted appropriately they say. Anyone? Where did this happen? Any opinions? ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/400-lb-man-killed-by-cops/216268/2 "2003-12-01T15:52:32Z")
Linky poos? ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/400-lb-man-killed-by-cops/216268/3 "2003-12-01T15:57:23Z")
I think I saw it on foxnews or msn Will go check for a link poo. ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/400-lb-man-killed-by-cops/216268/4 "2003-12-01T16:06:17Z")
can’t find it anywhere. I know I saw it this morning on either cnn, foxnews, msnbc. Anyone? ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/400-lb-man-killed-by-cops/216268/5 "2003-12-01T16:08:57Z")
[Google is your friend](http://www.channelcincinnati.com/news/2672531/detail.html) but the bigger question is: Why is this in GQ? ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/400-lb-man-killed-by-cops/216268/6 "2003-12-01T16:12:33Z")
because I wanted to know what happened, it was a really short news breif. And I did search google. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/400-lb-man-killed-by-cops/216268/7 "2003-12-01T16:17:21Z")
. . . I read the link, and what does his weight have to do with _anything_, except making the story more eye-catching? ---
**Author:** ![rsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsa)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/400-lb-man-killed-by-cops/216268/8 "2003-12-01T16:18:20Z")
[Another Linky poo.](http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/GoodMorningAmerica/cincinnati_custody_031201.html) ---
**Author:** ![rsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsa)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/400-lb-man-killed-by-cops/216268/9 "2003-12-01T16:22:07Z")
**Eve** , I believe his weight is being mentioned (on TV at least) as being a factor in the difficulty to subdue the man. ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/400-lb-man-killed-by-cops/216268/10 "2003-12-01T16:22:47Z")
Eve, I guess they thought it made him more of a threat to the policemen then. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/400-lb-man-killed-by-cops/216268/11 "2003-12-01T17:07:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eve \* > \*\*. . . I read the link, and what does his weight have to do with _anything_, except making the story more eye-catching? \*\* Well, if I read a story about some guy dying while resisting arrest, I think, hmmm, unnecessary force? If I read about a _400lb_ person dying in similar circumstances, I think “cardiac condition?” The weight is definitely relevant, if only to stop people from jumping immediately conclusions such as that expressed in the title of the OP, “400 lb. man killed by cops.” The man might have been killed by blows from nightsticks. Or it may just have been that he should have consulted his doctor before entering into an exercise regimen that included wrestling with police officers. ---
**Author:** ![rsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsa)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/400-lb-man-killed-by-cops/216268/12 "2003-12-01T17:37:02Z")
Just saw an extended replay of the police tape (with audio) on CNN instead of the usual snippet. It looked to me that the cops did what they had to in order to maintain control of the subject. Initially there were only two policemen and they weren’t able to get him controlled and cuffed until another four policeman showed up. In a lot of cities he would have been shot pretty early on. So my initial impression is that the Cincinnati PD acted professionally. BTW, the man was passed out initially in a restaurant and only the fire department was dispatched at first. The cops were called after the manager saw the man acting “suspiciously” later. From his refusal to cooperate and the fact that pepper spray did not affect him, my guess is that it is likely that he was under the influence of something which may have contributed to his death. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/400-lb-man-killed-by-cops/216268/13 "2003-12-01T18:03:37Z")
He’s a big fat man on the videos, and at 400 lbs, it’s quite likely he had significant health problems, and for someone that overweight to be causing trouble at 6 AM in the morning I’d suspect drugs or alcohol or a mental condition were involved somehow. He was previously conviced for cocaine posession, but whether he was using or not is another question. Big fat people usually aren’t coke or narcotic type hard drug addicts as these tend to suppress appetite. I think I’ll put money on the scenario that, he was on something or otherwise out of his head, fought with police, got the crap beat out of him and died of a heart attack or some other major organ failure . I don’t think it’s a brain teaser. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/400-lb-man-killed-by-cops/216268/14 "2003-12-01T18:15:57Z")
Here is the [County Coroners report](http://www.wcpo.com/news/2003/local/12/01/whitecastle_autopsy.html) He weight was 350 not 400 and he was only 5’9". He wasn’t that huge physically, just very fat. The news reports make it sound like they were fighting with Hulk Hogan. > [@](#): > > This is an exact transcript of a news release sent by Hamilton County Coroner Carl Parrott’s office: > (Cincinnati, OH, December 1, 2003) An autopsy was performed upon the body of Nathaniel Jones, on Sunday, November 30, 2003 at the Hamilton County Coroner’s Office. > > Mr. Jones, who was 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighed nearly 350 pounds, had a markedly enlarged heart, consistent with hypertensive heart disease. He had linear bruises on his right calf, right thigh, right buttock and right flank, but there was no evidence of transmission of force to internal organs. > > Drug and other laboratory testing is in progress. > > An opinion as to cause of death will be forthcoming when toxicology results and other investigative material, including reports of medical responders and the videotape of the arrest, have been reviewed. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/400-lb-man-killed-by-cops/216268/15 "2003-12-01T18:16:03Z")
Looks like he arrested himself. ---
**Author:** ![aerodave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f08c70/32.png) [@aerodave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aerodave)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/400-lb-man-killed-by-cops/216268/16 "2003-12-01T21:09:04Z")
Don’t be so misleading with the thread title. He wasn’t killed by cops, he died after being beaten by cops. Big difference. I’m not saying the beating didn’t help, but he was in bad condition to begin with. Discovered unconscious in a White Castle parking lot (those things _are_ bad for you). Upon regaining consciousness, started acting violent, had to be subdued by police. Was given to EMTs, sent to the hospital for treatment, and died there. This is a local story, and not too many people seem to be blaming the Cincinnati police. They really were following standard procedure. Not their fault the guy was too fat and in too bad of physical condition. ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/400-lb-man-killed-by-cops/216268/17 "2003-12-01T21:15:32Z")
sorry. It was the first title to come to mind to be short, but it wasn’t killed by it was died after being My quickness was a mistake. Huh, I once spent the entire night til morning in a White Castle. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/400-lb-man-killed-by-cops/216268/18 "2003-12-01T21:29:15Z")
Although not too many Cincinnatians may be blaming the police, and FOP is pissed that the officers were Mirandized, it has got the Coalition for a Just Cincinnati up in arms. It will be interestint to see how the Black community overall reacts. Also the toxicology reports will be interesting. He had been on probation before for cocaine possession and had violated his probation, according to the news that I saw. ---
**Author:** ![Rhum\_Runner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rhum\_Runner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhum_Runner)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/400-lb-man-killed-by-cops/216268/19 "2003-12-02T00:56:23Z")
When do we riot? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/400-lb-man-killed-by-cops/216268/20 "2003-12-02T01:43:13Z")
The evening news reported tonight that a tox screen founds PCP and cocaine in his system. A bad combination even beyond the very real possibility that it would have exacerbated his, let’s say, irritability at the police. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/400-lb-man-killed-by-cops/216268.md?page=2)