In a disturbing video footage from downtown Cincinnati, a man and a woman can be seen violently attacked during a chaotic brawl on Friday night, beaten mercilessly and pushed to the ground.The clip, which has since gone viral, shows the pair being swarmed by a crowd, with the white man appearing to be chased into the street, shoved to the ground and savagely kicked, punched and stomped on by several individuals. One attacker even body-slams him as others from the crowd, both men and women, continue to cheer and join in.The man, struggling to stand, is seen getting to his feet when a woman runs over to help him. However, just as she tries to pull one of the attackers away, she too, is punched twice in the face. The woman then falls back, hitting her head on the pavement and lying motionless as blood drips from her mouth. The crowd continues to jeer before the video ends.It remains unclear what sparked the violence. Witnesses told local station WXIX that racial slurs were exchanged before it began, although it is not clear who initiated the aggression. Some said the man had spoken to members of the group about 15 minutes earlier, before returning to the area, as reported by the New York Post.Cincinnati Police are actively investigating and attempting to identify everyone involved.“I am in complete disgust waking up to the viral video many of you have now seen,” said Cincinnati police chief Theresa Theetge in a statement on Saturday. “The behavior displayed is nothing short of cruel and absolutely unacceptable.”Ken Kober, President of the Cincinnati Fraternal Order of Police, strongly criticised not only the attackers but also the bystanders who failed to intervene.“The violence this video shows downtown is disgusting,” he told WLWT5. “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,” he added.The condition and identities of the victims have not yet been confirmed, but the police are trying to identify everyone in the video.
