Keith BieryGolick,
A Cincinnati police officer was
suspended without pay and could face more than 11 years behind bars if
convicted on assault and weapons charges.
A Hamilton County grand jury
indicted Kevin Jones, 34, Monday for the role he allegedly played in a fight
outside Dynasty's Lounge in Mount Airy earlier this month.
Jones, a police officer since
2007, is accused of felonious assault, tampering with evidence, obstructing
official business and using weapons while intoxicated, according to court
documents.
He was placed on desk duty
after the alleged off-duty incident on Sept. 6, said Cincinnati Police Chief
Jeffrey Blackwell.
"Once a conviction happens
that changes the entire dynamic," Blackwell said.
"We're human, cops make
mistakes. The issue here is we have to be the best of human kind. So when we
make mistakes of the heart they are a lot different than mistakes of the mind.
In this case here criminal charges were levied by the grand jury. I take that
very seriously."
Jones was fired in 2012 after
allegations he assaulted his former girlfriend, according to disciplinary
records in his personnel file.
He was not convicted of any
charges relating to that incident, Blackwell said.
"He was reinstated. The
arbitrator's position brought his job back. That was before my time as
chief," Blackwell said.
"We'll allow the due
process to go forward, and now that the grand jury has indicted him, he will
have to face those charges."
Jones also was reprimanded last
year for failing a random drug test.