NEWS

Radio traffic: Cop accused of carrying AR-15 drunk pointed it at an officer

Cameron Knight
cknight@enquirer.com
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The officer arrested this week for allegedly using weapons while intoxicated pointed his AR-15 style rifle at a fellow officer during a confusing police call that began with a report of a fight, according to police communication in radio recordings released Thursday.

David Jenkins was off-duty when he was arrested Monday. Authorities said he was intoxicated while carrying an AR-15 style rifle and acting "as a police officer in an official capacity while off duty."

Officers were called to reports of a fight in Cincinnati police District 5 at approximately 1:40 a.m. The exact location of the incident was redacted in police documents.

"The people upstairs are in a very big spat and it sounds like somebody might be hitting somebody," a female caller told the 911 dispatcher.

Recordings of police radio communications released Thursday indicated the responding officers spotted Jenkins in the four-unit apartment building.

"We got a guy in this hallway with a rifle. He claimed to be a cop," one of the officers told the dispatcher in the recording. "We actually retreated. We're outside, and get some more cars out here to help us out."

The dispatcher then asked for a description. An officer, who police later confirmed was Jenkins, comes over the radio identifying himself by his badge number instead of the unit number he would have been assigned if he were working a shift.

"He just told me he was a cop. I'm about to confront him, and he's obviously not a cop. So do what you need to do and get somebody here fast," Jenkins said, as confirmed by a police spokesperson. He reported the suspect is a male, white aged 19 to 24.

Then an on-duty officer reported over the radio: "Negative, male, black, bald hair, clean shaven face. He had a Cincinnati police jacket. He pointed an AR-15 at me."

Officers and the dispatchers then discuss whether two armed men have been witnessed at the building, but within a couple minutes radio traffic indicates the confusion was cleared up.

"Can you have officer Jenkins put his gun down and step outside?" an officer eventually asked the dispatcher.

"Yeah, I'm coming," a voice responded in the radio recording.

At this point in the computer-aided dispatch report, a comment notes that the subject with the AR-15 is off-duty officer Jenkins, and that there is no other suspect with a gun.

None of the documents released earlier Thursday indicate if Jenkins was inside the apartment or the building where the fight was reported or if he was attempting to respond to the reported dispute. No further charges have been filed against him.

In addition to the records, Jenkins' personnel file was also released on Thursday. The 45-year-old joined the Cincinnati police force in 2002 and began working in District 1. He was transferred to District 3 in 2011.

His supervisors said he met or exceeded expectations in every category on his last three performance reviews.

In his most recent review, it was noted that he is hard working and dependable and that he is well liked and respected by his peers.

Jenkins is charged with disorderly conduct and using weapons while intoxicated, according to court records. He has been reassigned to desk duty and his police powers have been suspended since Monday, according to a memo sent Thursday to City Manager Harry Black from Chief Eliot Isaac.

In his memo, Chief Isaac wrote that Jenkins will remain on desk duty until his case is adjudicated.