American Oshae Jones back in court to face criminal charges

In a show of solidarity against the arrest of Olympic bronze medal boxer Oshae Jones, more than a dozen people gathered outside a Toledo, Ohio courthouse with signs reading “inappropriate behavior,” “accountability,” and “sad to see use of force just because you can.”

Jones was in a magistrate court on Tuesday wearing her bronze medal from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. It was just a year ago the Olympian had been given a key to the city and honored as a hometown hero.

Last summer Jones won Olympic bronze in the welterweight division at the Tokyo 2020 Games. She lost to Gu Hong of China in the semifinals. Her brother Otha also boxed at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games.

Jones is now in the judicial ring, facing charges from an incident at her home last month. She has been cited with resisting arrest, failure to disperse and obstructing official business charges, all charges of which she has pleaded not guilty.

According to the affidavit, officers arrived at Jones’s home and broke up what they called “a large scene of people participating in a course of disorderly conduct.”

Last week Jones’ lawyers asked the City of Toledo for a public apology and to dismiss the charges against Jones after police had released body cam video from the officers.

You can watch the footage of the arrest here.

The judge has ruled for a continuance in the case to get more video discovery to each side.

In the video Jones is heard asking officers why they’re arresting some of the people and asking for officers’ badge numbers. After officers assured her it will all be public record, she then follows an officer across the street asking for his badge number, at that point several officers attempt to restrain her.

An officer is heard saying “you’re supposed to be an Olympic boxer. "

Jones responds, “I am! I was asking for your badge number!” The officer then says he didn’t know she was asking about his badge number and tells her what it is.

An officer off-camera tells her she shouldn’t act out like that, and Jones said she wasn’t acting out but just using her words.

The officers allege Jones had failed to obey their orders and started resisting arrest. She also pulled away from them as they tried to handcuff her.

After the release of the video, Toledo police were unable to release additional details regarding the incident due to an internal affairs investigation.

“The incident is still under investigation; therefore, per collective bargaining agreements, we are unable to make a statement at this time,” a Toledo police spokesperson said.