A violent brawl in Cincinnati on July 26 left one victim with severe brain trauma, igniting concerns about rising violent crime in the city. The incident, captured in a viral video, shows a group of individuals pummeling two victims, with one sustaining serious injuries. While some residents acknowledge the incident’s gravity, others argue that Cincinnati’s overall crime rate has not significantly increased.
Josh Pels, a downtown bartender, told Fox News Digital that while violent crime has increased over the past six months, the city’s situation is not as dire as the viral incident might suggest. ‘I don’t think it’s accurate,’ he said, ‘that the violent crime in Cincinnati defines the city. I would say the crime and violent crime in particular has gone up, I would say, over the course of the last six months for sure.’ He added that the Over-the-Rhine area usually has it worse than the downtown area, but there has been an uptick in violent crime.
The video, which has sparked national attention, shows a victim being beaten in the middle of the street and yelling racial slurs. Some claim the male victim slapped one of the perpetrators before the fight, sparking the beatdown. Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge stated in a press conference that there are six victims, and six people have been charged with crimes, with four arrested. The city’s fugitive task force is searching for the two suspects who remain at large.
Corey Mitchell, a Cincinnati resident, said the incident was an ‘action-reaction’ type of thing that does not define the city. ‘That ain’t no big deal,’ he said. ‘They could put it up in the news and seem like it’s a prejudiced place or something like that. But that’s just an action and a reaction that happened, and disagreements. That was about it.’
Robert Brown, a lifelong resident, agreed, stating that Cincinnati has ‘probably less fights than other cities,’ and that social media amplified the beating to a level that put the city in the spotlight. He also said that while brutal, the victim who he said slapped a man in the crowd and kicked off the beatdown should have expected repercussions. ‘Well, I mean … all the extra stuff after the smack really wasn’t warranted,’ he said, ‘but the perpetrators may have took it too far.’
Shirley Blair, another resident, described her immediate reaction after seeing the fight. ‘I was in shock by what I saw,’ she said, ‘I was busy surfing through the internet, making calls, trying to figure out there’s gotta be a backstory behind this. And apparently there were other things that happened leading up to that.’
Blair said she hopes the brawl doesn’t spiral into something more serious. ‘And in the back of my mind I wonder, okay, what’s gonna happen next? Can we sit down and talk about the situation? Is it gonna spring into something else?’ her comments echo the concerns of many residents who are worried about the incident’s broader implications.
Local police and the FBI are still sorting out the actions leading up to the fight. In a press conference, Mayor Aftab Pureval warned that everyone seen fighting will face consequences, vowing ‘further investigation, further charges and further arrests for every single person involved.’ Montianez Merriweather and Dekyra Vernon were arrested and face multiple charges, while others including Jermaine Matthews and Dominique Kittle have also been arrested or released on bond.
The incident has sparked a broader conversation about crime, community safety, and the role of social media in amplifying such events. As Cincinnati continues to grapple with its violent incident, residents are left to wonder what the future holds.