Five suspects have been charged after a fight in the streets of downtown Cincinnati, Ohio, on Friday that left two people injured.
Cincinnati Chief of Police Teresa Theetge said Monday that five individuals had been charged but did not release their identities, Fox News reported, noting officials are working on identifying several more people regarding the case.
Theetge said only one person out of 100 at the scene called police for help, adding that was “unacceptable” because numerous people saw what was happening.
According to WLWT, the chief said she expects more charges against the other individuals and it would be in their “best interest” to turn themselves in to law enforcement.
“Anyone who put their hands on another individual in this incident in an attempt to cause harm will face consequences. I don’t care which side of the incident or fight they were on,” she stated, adding that alcohol played a big role in the fight that happened on Elm and Fourth Streets.
Video footage shows two men fighting as others watched. At one point, the man wearing a white shirt is knocked to the ground and beaten. Moments later, a woman is punched in the face and falls to the pavement unconscious:
Per the Fox article, Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy later spoke with the woman, identified as Holly, about the incident and said she is a working mother who was attending a friend’s birthday party.
“Hard-working Americans shouldn’t have to worry for their safety when they have a good time in our cities. Holly said not a single local or state official had yet reached out as of earlier this afternoon, other than one police detective,” he said in part.
Officials were quick to denounce the violence once the video spread online. Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval said, “I am outraged by the vicious fight that occurred downtown. It is horrifying to watch, and this unacceptable and disgusting behavior is intolerable in any part of our community. That’s not who we are as a city.”
Now, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is suggesting that hate crime charges could be forthcoming, according to Fox:
In a statement to the outlet, White House spokesman Harrison Fields said, “Engaging in this level of barbaric violence is unacceptable, and those responsible must face the full weight of the justice system.”
“Restoring safety to America’s communities is a cornerstone of the President’s Make America Safe Again agenda. As a result, we’ve seen crime levels plummet under President Trump’s leadership, which has secured the border, empowered our law enforcement, and taken dangerous criminals off our streets,” he noted.
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