Latest news with #CincinnatiJazzFest
Newsweek
14 hours ago
- Newsweek
Arrests Made Over Cincinnati 'Couple' Attack
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Three people suspected to be connected to a fight that went viral online in Cincinnati, Ohio, have been arrested. Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge said that Montianez Merriweather, 34, and Dekyra Vernon, 24, had been arrested after footage of brawling in the city circulated on social media. A third person, Jermaine Matthews, 39, was arrested some days after the incident. According to the Libs of TikTok X, formerly Twitter, account the two are a couple, though Newsweek could not independently verify this. The Context A fight took place during the Cincinnati Jazz Fest and a Cincinnati Reds game on Saturday, July 26, at around 3 a.m. local time. Law enforcement arrived at the scene at 3:12 a.m., police said. Dekyra Vernon, left, and Montianez Merriweather. Dekyra Vernon, left, and Montianez Merriweather. Hamilton County Sheriff's Office What To Know Videos of the fight, which showed people pushing and shoving each other, went viral on social media and the incident was widely condemned by public figures including Vice President JD Vance and Elon Musk. It is not known what caused the fight, though police said that people had been drinking alcohol which could have had an impact. According to court records, Merriweather and Vernon have been charged with felonious assault. This charge comes with a sentence of between two and eight years in jail. Theetge said during a public meeting that there had been two arrests and a third person was being arrested. Jail and court officials confirmed on July 30 that Matthews, from the East Price Hill area of the city, had been charged with assault and aggravated riot. Jermaine Matthews. Jermaine Matthews. Hamilton County Sheriff's Office Who Is Cincinnati Police Chief Terri Theetge? Theetge is the first woman to lead the Cincinnati Police Department, a role she assumed in February 2022. Following the incident, there were calls for her to be fired by public figures including actor and comedian Rob Schneider. Some have said there was a lack of response to the incident, but Theetge has insisted the police reacted swiftly when they were called to the scene I am Publicly asking the Mayor of Cincinnati, Aftab Pureval to FIRE Cincinnati Police Chief Terri Theetge! Please retweet! — Rob Schneider 🇺🇸 (@RobSchneider) July 29, 2025 What People Are Saying Republican mayoral candidate Cory Bowman previously told Newsweek: "Cincinnati deserves clean, safe, and prosperous streets. We cannot wait until November's elections." Police Chief Teresa Theetge said in a statement, per the Cincinnati Enquirer: "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." Vice President JD Vance, who grew up near the area, called the incident "disgusting." "What I saw, and I haven't seen the full context, but what I saw is a mob of lawless thugs beating up on an innocent person," he said to a crowd in Canton, Ohio. "I hope every single one of those people who engage in violence is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law." What Happens Next Further arrests are expected. Meanwhile, Merriweather and Vernon are still being treated suspects and are yet to be convicted or sentenced for their alleged crimes.
Newsweek
3 days ago
- Newsweek
Mass Brawl in Cincinnati Sparks Outcry: 'Insanity'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A mass brawl in Cincinnati, Ohio, has sparked outcry on social media and among local officials and politicians, with one Facebook page calling the fight "insanity." The brawl was posted to social media by a page called Signal 99, a Facebook page that describes itself as "spicy meme page for Cops, Firefighters, Medics and Dispatchers," and which has also voiced support for Republican mayoral candidate Cory Bowman, Vice President JD Vance's half brother. The page posted several videos of the fight which show people roving the streets violently pushing and shoving individuals to the ground. Newsweek has contacted Cincinnati Police Chief Theresa Theetge, Republican mayoral candidate Cory Bowman, as well as Democratic Mayor Aftab Pureval, who is running for reelection, via email for comment outside of regular office hours. Why It Matters The violent nature of the videos, as well as the presence of jeering onlookers, some of whom appear to try to intervene, has attracted significant attention online as well as among city officials. Cincinnati City Councilman Mark Jeffreys posted to Facebook saying footage of the fight was "incredibly disturbing and horrific." Several comments, below the videos, say the brawl was racially motivated. Newsweek could not confirm this, and it is not clear who or what started the fight. What To Know A police vehicle flashes its lights in Philadelphia, Monday, Jan. 17, 2022. This photo is unrelated to the brawl. A police vehicle flashes its lights in Philadelphia, Monday, Jan. 17, 2022. This photo is unrelated to the brawl. Matt Rourke, File/AP Photo The fight, per Signal 99, occurred during the Cincinnati Jazz Fest and a Cincinnati Reds game, resulting in a large crowd downtown. According to the videos posted by Signal 99, the fight broke out downtown on July 25 amid large Friday night crowds. Police Chief Teresa Theetge has said the fight had nothing to do with the Jazz Festival, per the Cincinnati Enquirer. Theetge said in a statement that the fight began after a "verbal altercation." She said: "Our investigative team is working diligently to identify every individual involved in causing harm." Multiple videos posted online of Friday's fight show a large group of young-looking men and women, picking on people seemingly at random and punching, kicking, and throwing them to the ground. Other people are seen trying to intervene to stop the violence. One video shows a man in white trousers and a green shirt get attacked from behind and fall into the road. As he falls it looks, like he hits his head on a parked car. He then gets dragged by the leg into the middle of the road in front of a stationary car. The video shows passersby and onlookers filming on their phones and cheering. Another video shows a middle-aged man getting his head kicked by people in the middle of the road. Mayoral candidate Bowman reposted a video of the brawl put on Facebook by the Hamilton County Republican Party, which captioned the video: "This is why we need to elect Cory Bowman this November." What People Are Saying Police Chief Teresa Theetge said in a statement per the Cincinnati Enquirer: "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." Cincinnati City Councilman Mark Jeffreys said on Facebook: "This behavior cannot stand and will not represent our city. Those responsible must be held accountable and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law." Ohio State Representative Cecil Thomas, a Democrat, told local outlets in a statement that he was "totally embarrassed to see such behavior..." Signal 99 on Facebook: "More and more videos is insanity." What Happens Next An investigation into the individuals involved in the brawl has been launched by the Cincinnati police department. The Cincinnati mayoral election is on November 4, 2025.
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Hindustan Times
'Aggravated assault': Elon Musk on viral Cincinnati 'white couple' video amid speculation
SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk has responded to a disturbing viral video that shows a man and a woman being violently attacked by a group of individuals. The incident reportedly occurred during the Cincinnati Music Festival, formerly known as the Cincinnati Jazz Fest. A video of a "white couple' being attacked by a group of individuals at the Cincinnati Jazz Fest has gone viral. (Reuters and X) Viral video The graphic footage shows a man being repeatedly punched and kicked in the head by several people. As he attempts to stand, he collapses again. Later in the video, a woman approaches to check on him but is punched in the face by a man. She falls to the ground and remains motionless. What authorities said The Cincinnati Police Department confirmed they are investigating the attack. While authorities have not released further details about what led to the violence, online speculation suggests the attack may have been racially motivated. The group seen attacking the pair appears to be Black, while the two victims appear to be white. Cincinnati Police Chief Terri Theetge addressed the incident in a statement to WLWT, saying, '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.' Also Read: Did Elon Musk order the 2022 Starlink shutdown in Ukraine? What SpaceX said Elon Musk reacts Elon Musk weighed in on the incident by posting a screenshot of the video on X (formerly Twitter), showing the woman lying motionless on the pavement. He wrote, 'That guy almost killed this woman. Aggravated assault.'
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
'White couple' not the only ones hurt in Cincinnati attack? Claims of a third person surface
Violence broke out in downtown Cincinnati, amid the ongoing Cincinnati Music Festival, formerly known as the Cincinnati Jazz Fest, with videos showing a group beating a man and a woman. The incident in Cincinnati, where the man and woman were beaten, took place at the intersection of West Fourth Street and Elm Street. Image for representation(Pexels) While police have taken cognizance of the clips and said they are investigating the matter, which left two people injured, now a new video appears to show that there was a third victim. The incident, where the man and woman were beaten, took place at the intersection of West Fourth Street and Elm Street. What does the new video show? The new video, shared by Charlie Kirk – co founder of Turning Point USA – shows a man on the streets of what he claims to be Cincinnati. This man is attacked from behind by what appears to be another Black person. He is hit in the face and goes to ground immediately. He is then dragged by his legs and dropped in front of a vehicle on the road. The man then manages to get back on his feet. Sharing the video, Kirk, who is a conservative political activist, said 'I sure hope the police are in the process of arresting all of these criminals so the DA can throw the book at each and every one of them.' Again, the video does not show the events leading up to the altercation, and it remains unclear if this man is related to the other two white people who were on the receiving end of violence. What authorities said about the attack Speaking about the clips where the couple were shown getting beaten, Cincinnati police chief Terri Theetge told WLWT that the incident was in no way related to the music festival. Further, the police chief noted that a verbal altercation had broken out among some of the individuals seen on the video, which eventually escalated to outright violence. '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,' the top cop said.
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- 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.
