Violent Incident in Cincinnati Draws Attention
Cincinnati – Warning: Graphic content
An audio recording of a 911 call has surfaced following a violent altercation in downtown Cincinnati early Saturday morning, which occurred in front of around 100 witnesses.
The call, lasting over three minutes, features a somewhat unclear male voice reporting the incident while asking how many people were involved in the fight on July 26th. The call was made after the violence had already ceased.
“At this point, everyone is short on everyone, so it used to be around 20, 30 people, but everyone went outside,” the caller explained.
About a minute and a half into the call, the operator inquired whether police should still respond since the fight had concluded.
“Some people have left and some are still here,” the caller noted, responding to the operator’s questioning about the necessity of police assistance.
The operator repeated inquiries about the number of individuals involved and emphasized, “So you keep saying they’ve left, do you need police to come?”
Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Tegge later stated that, despite the significant crowd, this was the only call made to 911.
“Yes, I would prefer,” the man replied when asked if he wanted police to come. “I would like it, yes. Absolutely.”
The operator assured him officers would arrive “as soon as possible” and advised against leaving the scene.
Concerns regarding the public’s response have emerged in light of the incident, with the mayor and local leaders facing criticism for their handling of the events. Speaking at a press conference, Tegge expressed her dismay that no one else had reported the incident sooner. “That’s not acceptable to not call the police,” she said. “Traffic is scary. People saw this. They were fighting in front of the traffic. Why didn’t people call us?”
Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval, currently on vacation in Canada, has announced plans to cut his trip short and return to the city amid widespread criticism regarding the authorities’ response to the viral brawl.
“I just can’t understand why people didn’t reach out,” commented City Councilman Victoria Parks, who added on Facebook that the victim “begged for that beatdown!”
The police have identified suspects in the case, with two individuals, Montianez Merriweather, 34, and Dekyra Vernon, 24, facing felony charges and arrests related to the incident. Merriweather is being held on a $500,000 bond, while Vernon faces a $200,000 bond. A third suspect, Jermaine Matthews, was also charged and held on a $100,000 bond for aggravated riots and assault.
Charges have been reportedly filed against additional individuals who have yet to be detained.
Despite repeated requests, the Cincinnati Police Department, along with the mayor’s office, has not publicly responded to inquiries about the situation throughout the week.
