Updates in Cincinnati Attack Could Have Local Consequences

Just over two weeks since a mob attack took place in Cincinnati, recent updates on the incident offer hope, but also potentially further division. Six individuals have been indicted, with a seventh recently arrested. Some community leaders, however, are focused on the race of the suspects.

Last Monday, one of the six suspects, Patrick Rosemond, was arrested in Fulton County, Georgia. He is accused of assaulting one of the victims, known as Holly, who joined Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, last Wednesday at his Cincinnati press conference.

The six suspects were indicted by a grand jury last Friday and could face additional charges. According to a press release from the Hamilton County prosecuting attorney, the six were indicted on eight charges: three counts of felonious assault, three charges of assault, and two charges of aggravated rioting. They face up to 29.5 years in prison if convicted.

Beyond Rosemond, the suspects include Montianez Merriweather, Jermaine Matthews, Dekyra Vernon, Dominique Kittle, and Aisha Devaughn.

“What I saw on video is not the Cincinnati I know and love,” said Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich. “These charges hold those involved in the attack accountable.” Disturbing footage has been circulating over social media of the attack, which has gone viral nationally.

Pillich warned she’s not just pursuing those who physically attacked the victims. “Ohio’s aiding [and] abetting law is an underlying premise of this case. Essentially, anyone who assists or facilitates the commission of a crime, even without directly committing the act, can face the same penalties as the principal offender.”

Ohio Republican Party Chairman Alex Triantafilou called the update a “good start!”

A seventh suspect, Gregory Wright, was also arrested this week, according to Fox 19:

Police allege in a criminal complaint that Wright ‘did by force rip the necklace off the victim while he was being assaulted by four or more co-defendants attempting to cause serious physical harm’ during the brawl at Fourth and Elm streets early July 26.

He allegedly stole the necklace off the victim while the victim was being beaten on the ground. He put it in his pocket and then ‘proceeds to film the rest of the events,’ according to a police flyer searching for the suspect, now identified as Wright.

Wright, who pleaded not guilty on Tuesday morning, is described by the report as having a “lengthy criminal record,” including heroin trafficking charges.

The suspects’ race has not gone unnoticed by black community leaders. State Rep. Cecil Thomas, a Democrat of Cincinnati, has raised concerns about “bias” in the investigation.

Coverage about such concerns, from WLWT Cincinnati and the Cincinnati Enquirer, describes the attack as a “brawl.” During last week’s press conference, Moreno called out the media for such language.

Moreno also met with local leaders and is planning to meet with them once more on Aug. 19. He had previously called for a review of federal funding for the city.

In addition to the attention that the incident has received at the national level, the attack is having local consequences.

The city’s response to the attack, including that of Cincinnati’s Democrat mayor, Aftab Pureval, may play a role in the November mayoral election. Pureval’s Republican challenger, Cory Bowman, has been vocal about the need to improve the city.

Former Vice Mayor Chris Smitherman, who co-hosted a town hall last week with Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, announced Tuesday he is running for city council.

Iris Roley, a consultant for the city manager, has come under fire for her social media posts commending the attack and condemning her interactions with local police officers. The Cincinnati Fraternal Order of Police has launched a petition to “Terminate Iris Roley’s contract[.]” According to Fox 19, allegations against Roley are under review.

Roley has not merely drawn the ire of the local FOP chapter. On Monday, the Cincinnati Enquirer published a letter from opinion columnist Dennis Doyle, “The city manager’s silence on Iris Roley’s behavior puts police reform at risk.”

The Daily Signal reached out to a spokesperson for the city manager and the Cincinnati local chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police.

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