'Cruel and absolutely unacceptable:' Viral fight video airs as city pushes to curb crime

Yahoo

6 days ago

This story has been updated with comments from Councilman Jeffreys and state Rep. Thomas.
A video of a fight involving multiple people in Downtown Cincinnati is going viral amid ongoing debates about crime in the urban core.
Signal 99, a Facebook page which calls itself "a Spicy meme page for Cops, Firefighters, Medics and Dispatchers" shared the video the morning of July 26. It went on to get traction on multiple platforms, and additional angles of the incident have also been shared.
The post claims the fight took place at the corner of Fourth and Elm streets late Friday. The Cincinnati Music Festival brought thousands of people Downtown.
Mayoral candidate and JD Vance's half-brother Cory Bowman reposted the video later in the day, using it as a vehicle to argue that the current administration is not addressing crime properly. The Enquirer texted Mayor Aftab Pureval's spokesman for comment, but has not received a response.
Cincinnati police spokesman Jonathan Cunningham said the situation is under investigation. No details about whether anyone was hospitalized or arrested have been released.
Chief Teresa Theetge issued a statement just after 6 p.m.
"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," Theetge said. "Our investigative team is working diligently to identify every individual involved in causing harm."
She said the fight was not connected to the Cincinnati Music Festival.
"This was a sudden dispute between individuals following a verbal altercation," Theetge said.
The chief is asking anyone with information about the incident to call CrimeStoppers at 513-352-3040.
The Enquirer has reached out to several businesses in the vicinity. At 6 p.m. on July 26, none had responded to phone messages or had agreed to speak in person.
Cincinnati city councilman Mark Jeffreys described the video of the fight as "incredibly disturbing and horrific," as well as "downright inhumane." He added that he's spoken with other city officials and police to work on "finding the individuals responsible and arresting them urgently."
"This behavior cannot stand and will not represent our city," Jeffreys said. "Those responsible must be held accountable and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."
Ohio State Rep. Cecil Thomas said in a statement to Enquirer media partner Fox19 that he is 'totally embarrassed to see such behavior.'
Thomas goes on to say that, with visitors from around the country, this sort of violence is 'unacceptable.'
Crime in Cincinnati
According to Cincinnati police data released on July 21, the central business district and riverfront area of Downtown has seen a 25% increase in violent crime compared to last year.
The data shows there have been 21 aggravated assaults between Jan. 1 and July 21 this year, compared to 16 during the same period in 2024.
Property crime has also increased by about 57% year over year.
Theetge has announced a series of initiatives aimed at curbing crime, including a roving task force and more visible patrols. She has been giving updates about crime statistics in press conferences nearly every week.
The Enquirer will update this story with more information when it becomes available.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Downtown fight goes viral amid push to curb crime