In the Cincinnati viral beating case, police have now released new body camera footage from the scene that led to the arrest of six people and had also injured six people. The footage captures officers arriving at the scene at approximately 3.25 am on Saturday, July 26. According to a report by Fox News Digital, a single 911 call prompted law enforcement to respond, New York Post reported. In the video, a man wearing a polo green shirt, aged 62, told Cincinnati Police Department officer, “I’m 62 years old. I was attacked. I got attacked by multiple people.” When the officer inquires, “What led up to the fight?”, the man responds, “Don’t really know,” and adds, “It just got out of the bar and it just got crazy.” He further clarified, “Okay, you didn’t get into it with anybody inside the bar?” to which he replies, “No, no, no. Not at all. I got side-punched. It wasn’t a fair fight at all.” Another body camera video, also obtained by Fox News Digital, features a female officer asking witnesses if the “argument was about wings.” The footage shows a group purchasing and disputing wings at a local food truck in the early hours of Saturday, July 26. A witness said, “I heard it was the one white guy who called the guy a n—–.” The incident led to the indictment of six individuals by a grand jury on the same day the body camera footage was released. The Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office confirmed charges against Patrick Rosemond, aged 38; Jermaine Matthews, 39; Montianez Merriweather, 34; DeKyra Vernon, 24; Dominique Kittle, 37; and Aisha Devaughn, 25. Each is facing three counts of alleged felonious assault, three charges of assault, and two charges of aggravated rioting. Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich stated, “What I saw on video is not the Cincinnati I know and love. These charges hold those involved in the attack accountable.” The release comes nearly two weeks after a bystander video of the brutal beating at the corner of Fourth and Elm streets went viral, causing national outrage. Witness Jay Black described the events, saying, “I saw a little ruckus going on, saw people kind of scuffling, so kind of zoomed in, and once my phone kind of focused in, I saw the so-called victims being pretty aggressive toward the group of people that were already standing out there.” Black added that the individual involved continued to fight using racial slurs despite others attempting to intervene. The incident has sparked criticism over the apparent lack of police presence in the downtown area, with only eleven officers stationed there on the night of the brawl. In a press conference last week, Cincinnati Police Chief Theresa Theetge expressed disappointment, stating, “That is unacceptable to not call the police. Traffic was horrendous. People saw this. They were fighting in front of traffic. Why didn’t people call us?” One of the victims, Holly, was seen in additional footage being violently slammed to the ground while attempting to separate the fighters. She recounted her experience to Fox News Digital, saying, “I remember being afraid, terrified. I just remember my life flashing before my eyes, and all I can think is, ‘Dear God, I hope my children know that I love them.’” Holly revealed that the attack left her with brain damage and severe concussion, resulting in life-altering injuries. “I’m having someone help take care of me financially, mentally and physically,” she added. Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval addressed the violence during a press conference last week, said, “This was an awful incident, and our law enforcement has been working quickly and effectively to bring all responsible to justice. Let me be clear, there is no place for violent crime in Cincinnati, whether it’s a fight or gun violence. We will pursue those responsible and we will hold them accountable no matter who they are.”
