6 now charged in Cincinnati mob attack; mayor says man who issued 'slap' prior to beatdown is being 'actively investigated'
Cincinnati officials on Friday said six people are now charged in connection with the mob attack that took place in the city's downtown area last weekend — and the mayor said a man seen on video issuing a "slap" prior to the beatdown is being "actively investigated."
Earlier this week, police said five people had been charged in connection with the mob attack, and three of them have been arrested to date. With the new development that six people have been charged, that leaves three people who have yet to be taken into custody.
'The level of attack on this man? Completely unjustified.'
According to video of Friday's news conference, after a reporter asked if a charge is coming to the man who issued the "slap" prior to the mob attack, Mayor Aftab Pureval said that man is being "actively investigated."
"We take all violence very seriously," Pureval said, adding that "we expect more charges and more arrests."
The mayor also said during the news conference that he "profoundly disagrees" with city council member Victoria Parks, who infamously declared in a Facebook comment that the victims of the mob attack "begged for that beat down!"
In addition, Police Chief Teresa Theetge said at the news conference that next week she may be releasing "additional footage ... that tells a little bit more of the story" surrounding the mob attack.
RELATED: US senator shares grisly photos of woman's bruised, battered face after Cincinnati mob attack
You can view cellphone videos of the mob attack here, here, here, here, and here.
The final two videos appear to show a man dressed in a white shirt and black pants — who would soon be beaten up by the mob — making physical contact with the male in the red shirt and black shorts, who soon would take part in the mob attack.
However, BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock on Monday stated on "Jason Whitlock Harmony" that he's heard the argument that the man dressed in the white shirt and black pants — a white man — "started it" by making physical contact with the male in the red shirt and black shorts — a black man — and that was justification for the mob attack.
But Whitlock wasn't having it.
"That's ridiculous to me," Whitlock said. "The level of attack on this man? Completely unjustified."
BlazeTV contributor Shemeka Michelle agreed, telling Whitlock the attack was "definitely unjustified. When they tried to show the video of the guy in the red being pushed and acting as if that was justification. ... But for all of these people to jump in — and it wasn't just men jumping in; there were women jumping in as if they were men."
Whitlock on Sunday posted a message on X calling out the mob attack, saying that "this behavior and lack of national outrage are unsustainable. It's unsustainable. The anti-white bigotry at the root of this behavior must be addressed. Sickening."
The FBI on Monday opened an investigation into the mob attack, WXIX-TV reported. The incident is under investigation as a potential hate crime, according to Fox News.
Republican U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno of Ohio late Wednesday shared grisly images of a woman's face in an X post after she was beaten up and apparently knocked out cold during the mob attack.
The mother of one of the arrested mob attack suspects defended her 'honor roll' son earlier this week — a 34-year-old who's been charged with felonious assault and aggravated riot — saying, "My child is in school, he has five kids, he's on the B honor roll in school."
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Leftist mobs' demonstrations depend upon the acquiescence of those in official positions of authority.
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'Despicable human being!!' Cincinnati official triggers venomous reactions to her comment about mob attack victims
A Cincinnati council member is drawing intense backlash over a comment she made about the victims of last weekend's viral mob attack.
Victoria Parks — the city council's president pro tem — said "they begged for that beat down!" the Cincinnati Enquirer reported.
'Disgusting comment! Victim shaming! NO ONE deserves that type of assault! You need to be removed from public office!'
Parks' comment went up at 4:50 a.m. Sunday under another Facebook user's post that includes video of the physical attack. Her comment — in which she added, "I am grateful for the whole story" — was still visible Thursday morning within the post.
Those reacting underneath her comment didn't hold back:
Others visited Parks' own Facebook page and flooded one of her posts — unrelated to the mob attack — with angry words:
Blaze News on Wednesday emailed Parks and asked her if she posted the comment and would care to explain it; Parks as of Thursday afternoon has not yet replied to Blaze News' inquiry.
Same deal with the Enquirer. The paper said Parks "did not respond to multiple messages Wednesday seeking comment. Parks’ office in Cincinnati City Hall was dark and the door was locked on Wednesday afternoon when an Enquirer reporter knocked. There was no answer."
However, WLWT-TV said Parks confirmed that she did post the comment and stands by it.
Fellow council member Meeka Owens noted to WLWT in reference to Parks' words that "making comments that inflame a violent incident is never acceptable" and that "endorsing violence is neither effective nor responsible." Owens added to the station that "it is not beneficial to the city nor the region when [Parks] advocates for violence as a means of retribution" and that "the comments of one lame-duck member of Cincinnati City Council do not represent the opinions or perspectives of the Council as a whole, and certainly not mine.”
Parks announced in January that she isn't running for re-election.
'The level of attack on this man? Completely unjustified.'
In one widely shared cellphone video of the early Saturday morning beatdown, a man dressed in a white shirt and black pants is chased into the street and knocked down before multiple attackers repeatedly punch and kick and stomp him over the course of nearly a minute amid hooting and hollering. Soon a woman in a blue dress is seen apparently trying to intervene on behalf of the beaten-up man, but she's punched in the back of her head by another female — and seconds later, a male punches her in the face, knocking her flat on her back on the street. A disturbing close-up of the woman's face shows her eyes wide open and body motionless before a few people try to help her up.
A second clip shows three other men knocked to the surface of the same street. Then one attacker leaps and lands his body atop one of the male victims — pro-wrestling-style — while the victim is still lying on the street surface. Afterward, a laughing, smiling male pulls the attacker away.
A third video shows what appears to be the same victim from the previous clip getting pummeled from behind and knocked to the ground as a voice is heard saying, "Sleep him again!" The victim is then dragged by his foot into the middle of the street.
A fourth video, however, appears to show what preceded the beatdown as depicted in the first video. It shows the man dressed in the white shirt and black pants — who was beaten up in the first video — squaring off with a male in a red shirt and black shorts who would soon take part in the mob attack. It appears to show the man dressed in the white shirt and black pants making physical contact with the male in the red shirt and black shorts — and then it's on.
An additional Facebook video appears to show even more of what occurred prior to the mob attack. It depicts what seems to be a verbal argument and minor scuffle that was on its way to calming down, and the man dressed in the white shirt and black pants seems to lightly slap the face of the male in the red shirt and black shorts, which — as noted above — leads to the beatdown.
However, BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock on Monday stated on “Jason Whitlock Harmony" that he's heard the argument that the man dressed in the white shirt and black pants — a white man — "started it" by making physical contact with the male in the red shirt and black shorts — a black man — and that was justification for the mob attack.
"That's ridiculous to me," Whitlock said. "The level of attack on this man? Completely unjustified."
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Police have arrested three of the five charged suspects in connection with the mob attack — and one of the arrestees reportedly was out on bond for weapons charges when the street beatdown took place.
The arrestees so far are: 39-year-old Jermaine Matthews, 24-year-old Dekyra Vernon, and 34-year-old Montianez Merriweather, WXIX-TV reported. The two other charged suspects have not been named.
Merriweather and Vernon were booked Tuesday afternoon into the Hamilton County Justice Center on charges of felonious assault and aggravated riot, WXIX said, citing jail and court records. Matthews was booked into the county jail just after 1 a.m. Wednesday on charges of aggravated riot and assault, the station reported.
Merriweather was "identified on video punching [the] victim while co-defendants are stomping the victim in the head," while Vernon "struck [the] victim in the face with a closed fist prior to the victim becoming unconscious from the attack," WXIX reported, citing criminal complaints. Details on Matthews' case had not yet been filed in the court record, the station said.
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The Cincinnati Enquirer said Vernon's bond was set at $200,000. Hamilton County court records show she has no prior criminal convictions in the county, the paper reported in a separate story.
Merriweather's situation is a bit more complicated, shall we say.
It turns out he was indicted July 10 on four felony charges after investigators said he was found in possession of a stolen firearm, the Enquirer reported. Court records indicate he was charged with carrying concealed weapons, receiving stolen property, improper handling of firearms in a vehicle, and weapons under disability, the paper noted. The weapons under disability charge stems from a 2009 felony conviction for aggravated robbery, the Enquirer said, citing documents.
But after his indictment just two weeks ago, Merriweather was released upon posting 10% of a $4,000 bond, the paper said.
"He never should have been out," Ken Kober, Cincinnati police union president, told the Enquirer.
Merriweather's bond in connection with the mob attack charges against him was set at $500,000, the Enquirer reported.
As for Matthews, his bond was set at $100,000, the paper said — although he later was charged with felony assault, as well, and a bond for that charge will be discussed at a Thursday hearing.
Matthews apparently is no stranger to law enforcement, either. More from WXIX:
The FBI on Monday opened an investigation into the mob attack, WXIX reported. Fox News said the incident is under investigation as a potential hate crime.
Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa A. Theetge told NewsNation Monday she anticipates more people will be charged over the mob attack and said, "Anyone who put their hands on another individual during this incident in an attempt to cause harm will face consequences.”
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