The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced it will closely monitor the local investigation into a violent assault on a white man and woman by a group of Black people in downtown Cincinnati on Friday night.
The incident, which was captured on video and extensively shared on social media, sparked national attention and drew harsh criticism from Cincinnati’s local officials.
“This happened last night, at 4th & Elm during the Cincinnati Jazz Festival. How can this go on for so long, and there be zero police presence? Towards the end of the video, a grown man punches a woman in the face and knocks her out,” said Adam Koehler on X, sharing a video of a Black man knocking out a white woman on the street.
Harmeet Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, confirmed the DOJ’s involvement on Sunday, stating via X, “Our federal hate crimes laws apply to ALL Americans. We @CivilRights will monitor closely how local authorities handle this attack. Nobody in our great nation should be the victim of such a crime, and where race is a motivation, federal law may apply.”
This federal inspection comes in reaction to mounting pressure, especially from Senator Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), who publicly chastised Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval for being silent on the matter.
“The Mayor of Cincinnati, @AftabPureval, who has an opinion on lots of irrelevant topics, has not issued a statement, let alone a condemnation, of this heinous attack,” Moreno posted on X, urging the mayor to prioritize public safety.
Cory Bowman, a Republican mayoral candidate in Cincinnati and half-brother of Vice President J.D. Vance, first posted the video of the assault. Bowman, who will oppose Mayor Pureval in the November election, shared many videos on social media criticizing the city’s handling of police enforcement during public events.
According to Bowman, the attack took place near Fourth and Elm Streets on a busy night that included a Cincinnati Reds game and the Cincinnati Music Festival. He claimed that no specialized dispatcher was designated to handle the increased call volume, a claim backed up by sources at the city’s Emergency Communications Center.
While the event has received worldwide condemnation, controversial activist Tariq Nasheed posted a video stating that the confrontation was started by the white guy involved, claiming he “slapped a Black man in the face” before things escalated.
Ken Kober, head of Cincinnati’s police union, told WKRC-TV that investigators are working feverishly to identify all those involved in the attack. “They’re doing everything they can,” Kober explained. “There are still some people who have not been identified.”
According to Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge, five persons were charged on Monday in connection with the violent beating.
“We have five we have charged, and anticipate more,” Theetge told reporters Monday, two days after the 3 a.m. Saturday incident, which she referred to as a “fight.”
Authorities are requesting anybody with information to contact Crime Stoppers at (513) 352-3040 or Central Business District Investigators at (513) 352-5445, as callers can remain anonymous.
