Latest news with #CecilThomas
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
New twist in Cincinnati street brawl as lawmakers say white man who started melee should be prosecuted
Lawmakers in Cincinnati are calling for a white man seen on video slapping a black man before a now viral brawl erupted to face prosecution. The violent melee that unfolded two weekends ago in the downtown area of the Democrat led city has so far led to the arrest of six individuals. On Monday night, Ohio State Rep Cecil Thomas led a discussion inside the New Prospect Baptist Church and raised concerns that the man had yet to be arrested. Thomas, who leads the city chapter of the National Action Network, said all of those who have been arrested are black. He said the black community wanted answers about why others involved have not been prosecuted. 'The method by which this situation has been handled raises serious questions as whether there bias involved in this investigation,' he said, according to WLWT. 'It also brings into question the lack of integrity and whether there is something else to hide.' A new angle of what happened prior to the brawl shows an unidentified black man being slapped by the unknown white man, which sparked the chaos. All six of those who have been arrested are facing charges of aggravated riot and felonious assault charges, which carries with it the potential of 29 years in prison. Pastor Leslie Jones also reportedly said : 'Our community is restless and they're watching. 'Since you don't think young people vote, old folks do. And they have told me they know how to vote, they know how to answer. 'If you don't prosecute this gentleman and we're not talking about we're demanding prosecution in the next 24 hours.' Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval released a statement following the meeting saying he agreed with the frustration. Pureval said: 'I have been clear about my expectations that, in order to preserve both public safety and fairness, anyone involved in perpetrating the violence should be charged. 'Until all participants are held accountable, justice hasn't been fully served. And I'm grateful that community leaders and residents are continuing to come together to make their expectations clear.' He added that additional charging decisions would be made by officials 'as soon as possible'. Footage obtained by Fox News also depicts a White man using a racial slur towards the group in the moments before the brawl. It comes after all six who have been arrested were formally indicted by a grand jury, the Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office said. Patrick Rosemond, 38, Jermaine Matthews, 39, Montianez Merriweather, 34, DeKyra Vernon, 24, Dominique Kittle, 37, and Aisha Devaughn, 25, are all facing charges. A seventh suspect, 32-year-old Gregory Wright, was apprehended on Monday and is facing charges of aggravated riot and aggravated robbery. He pleaded not guilty. Police allege in their criminal complaint that Wright ripped a necklace off a man while he was being assaulted during the brawl. They said he then put the necklace into his pocket before proceeding to 'film the rest of the events', Fox19 reported. A woman, known only as Holly, was brutally injured during the assault with her attack also caught on camera. In a sit down interview last week, Holly claimed Mayor Pureval and Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge had ignored her. Holly also said that police 'acted nonchalant' when they arrived at the scene and did not call for backup or an ambulance. Patrick Rosemond, 38, left, was arrested in Georgia in connection to the violent attack. Aisha Devaughn, right, allegedly hit one of the victims, prosecutors said Jermaine Matthews, left, and Dominique Kittle are both facing charges in connection with the brawl 'They were less than helpful is all I can say. So, I wound up getting in my Uber when it showed up and went home and tried to sleep off the concussion,' Holly explained. 'They didn't even get a statement. No, the police were very, opposite of helpful.. They made me feel so uncomfortable. 'They don't even get my name. They don't even care enough to get my name', she added. She went on to defend her actions that night, noting that she was the only person who decided to jump in to help the man because it was 'the right thing to do.' 'There were 100 people there that night and I jumped in, I was the only one who jumped in, to try and save him because that was the right thing to do. 'And, yeah, unfortunately they attacked me as well for trying to do the right thing,' Holly added. Holly, who's described herself as a single working-class mother, said out of the large crowd of people, the only person who called 911 was another victim. 'So not one person decided to call 911 and then film these heinous crimes and attempted murder, because that is what it is no matter what they label it. 'It was attempted murder,' Holly said, adding that those who watched on should feel 'shame' for their actions Days after the video of the vicious fight went viral, Chief Theetge said the outrage surrounding it lacked 'context.' Chief Theetge also took aim at the media for only showing 'one version' of what occurred - without giving any more context about the fight herself. 'Social media and journalism and the role it plays in this incident, the posts that we have seen does not depict the entire incident,' she said.
Fox News
4 days ago
- Fox News
Cincinnati leaders 'demanding prosecution' of White man in viral street fight
Cincinnati leaders are reportedly calling on members of the local government to bring charges against a White man seen slapping a Black man during a viral confrontation that left six injured and led to seven arrests in late-July. In a public discussion hosted by Ohio State Rep. Cecil Thomas on Monday, community members met to discuss concerns over the city's handling of the investigation into the fight, WLWT reported. "The video speaks for itself," Thomas said, according to the outlet. "The method by which this situation has been handled raises serious questions as to whether there is bias involved in this investigation. It also brings into question the lack of integrity and whether there is something else to hide." Additional footage of the assault obtained by WLWT shows the unidentified White man allegedly hitting a Black man in the face, leading to several others joining in on the beatdown that ultimately left six people injured. A separate video obtained by Fox News Digital depicts a White man repeatedly using a racial slur toward the group in the moments before the fight. The update comes over two weeks after the incident broke out on the corner of Fourth and Elm streets in the early morning hours of July 26. Last week, a grand jury indicted Patrick Rosemond, 38, Jermaine Matthews, 39, Montianez Merriweather, 34, DeKyra Vernon, 24, Dominique Kittle, 37, and Aisha Devaughn, 25, on three counts of alleged felonious assault, three charges of assault and two charges of aggravated rioting, the Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office confirmed to Fox News Digital. If convicted, they each face the possibility of up to 29 years in prison. A seventh individual, 32-year-old Gregory Wright, was arrested Monday afternoon and is facing charges of alleged aggravated riot and aggravated robbery, according to the Hamilton County Jail. All seven suspects are Black, sparking questions from local leaders about the investigation and why the White man has not been charged. "Our community is restless, and they're watching," Pastor Leslie Jones said, according to WLWT. "Since you don't think young people vote, old folks do. And they have told me they know how to vote, they know how to answer. If you don't prosecute this gentleman – and we're not talking about – we're demanding prosecution in the next 24 hours." Additionally, Cincinnati mayor Aftab Pureval told WLWT that any decisions regarding additional charges will be "made as soon as possible." "I agree with everyone's frustration," Pureval said, according to the outlet. "I have been clear about my expectations that, in order to preserve both public safety and fairness, anyone involved in perpetrating the violence should be charged. Until all participants are held accountable, justice hasn't been fully served. And I'm grateful that community leaders and residents are continuing to come together to make their expectations clear." The mayor's office and Rep. Thomas did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Hindustan Times
27-07-2025
- Hindustan Times
White couple assaulted by Blacks at Cincinnati jazz festival? What we know
Violence reportedly erupted at the Cincinnati Music Festival, formerly known as the Cincinnati Jazz Fest, with videos showing a group beating a man and a woman. The attack in Cincinnati took place at the intersection of West Fourth Street and Elm Street. Image for representation(Unsplash) The Cincinnati police have said they are investigating the violence that broke out downtown, leaving at least two injured. While the race of the victims has not been disclosed outright, they appear to be white people, and the ones doling out the pain appear to be a group of Black people. Some posts on X have called the attack racially motivated. Republicans have already raised concerns about law and order in the state over the assault. Here's all that happened. What does the video show, where the attack took place? The attack took place at the intersection of West Fourth Street and Elm Street. In the footage, a man whose identity remains unknown, can be seen getting repeatedly hit and kicked in the head by many people. He goes to ground, but the assault continues. When he tries standing up, as the attacks appear to pause, he falls over in apparent disorientation. Later in the video, a woman is seen sneaking up on another woman who had gone to check on the man. While she grabs at this person, another man punches the woman who had gone to check in on the fallen man. The punch seems to knock her unconscious as she falls on the street. It remains unclear if the man and woman were related to each other, and the video does not show the events leading up to the fight. However, cops said that the incident began with a verbal altercation involving some of the people in the video. What authorities said about the attack Cincinnati police Chief Terri Theetge, in a statement to WLWT said, 'I am in complete disgust waking up to the viral video many of you have now seen. The behavior displayed is nothing short of cruel and absolutely unacceptable. Our investigative team is working diligently to identify every individual involved in causing harm. It's also important to clarify: this was a sudden dispute between individuals following a verbal altercation. It was not connected in any way to the Music Fest. If you have any information related to this incident, please contact Crime Stoppers immediately at 513-352-3042.' The Cincinnati Fraternal Order of Police – the cops' union body – also condemned the incident, saying 'The violence this video shows downtown is disgusting. What's equally disgusting is those who chose to watch and record instead of calling 911, attempting to defuse the situation or render aid. I have full faith in the Central Business Section Investigators they will make arrests in the near future. It will then be the responsibility of the court system to hold these violent thugs accountable.' What politicians are saying State Rep. Cecil Thomas expressed disgust at the incident, and said to the publication, 'It turned my stomach and I was angry and totally embarrassed to see such behavior, especially, during the Music Festival weekend that's has been historically free of such horrifying violence, not to mention a Reds home game. There are so many visitors from around the country currently in our city.' 'It's this kind of behavior that makes me wish I was still on the force. It's unacceptable under any standard and those involved should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Therefore as your State Representative, I trust that there will be a full and complete investigation of this incident by the Cincinnati Police Department and to bring charges against all involved. There's enough cameras in the area as well as cellphone videos to clearly determine how it started and who all was involved. I'm asking for anyone who may have information , including, cellphone footage to please notify authorities or call my office. 614-466-1645. All involved should be held accountable,' he added. Cory Bowman, JD Vance's half-brother and the Mayoral candidate for Cincinnati, shared a clip of the incident and highlighted the gaps in the police force's functioning, while laying out his own plans for governance, should he become mayor, 'This is trickle-down incompetence from the Mayor, City Manager, the majority of the City Council, the Police Chief, and their advisors. Good people in the city, government, and police department are demoralized, feeling there's no hope for change,' he said. Meanwhile, Vivek Ramaswamy, who was the Republican Presidential candidate in the 2024 primaries, and is also candidate for Governor of Ohio, commented on the matter, saying 'Reckless violence has no place in Ohio. Restoring law & order on our streets shouldn't be a partisan issue.' He invited the state's Democrat leaders to condemn the issue. Notably, WLWT reported that Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval has not commented on the matter.
