The July 26 street brawl at Fourth and Elm in downtown Cincinnati has already produced a stack of felony indictments, left six people injured, and put seven behind bars—but the political fallout is now centered on one man who hasn’t been charged.
At the heart of the controversy is video footage showing a White man slapping a Black man in the face just before the violence erupted. Additional clips obtained by local outlets show the same man using a racial slur repeatedly in the moments leading up to the fight.
For Ohio State Rep. Cecil Thomas and other community leaders, the optics are unmistakable: seven Black suspects have been charged—some facing up to 29 years in prison—while the White man who allegedly instigated the confrontation has not been arrested.
“The video speaks for itself,” Thomas said at a public meeting Monday. “The method by which this situation has been handled raises serious questions as to whether there is bias involved in this investigation. It also brings into question the lack of integrity and whether there is something else to hide.”
The indictments so far include charges of felonious assault, assault, and aggravated rioting against six defendants: Patrick Rosemond, 38; Jermaine Matthews, 39; Montianez Merriweather, 34; DeKyra Vernon, 24; Dominique Kittle, 37; and Aisha Devaughn, 25. A seventh suspect, Gregory Wright, 32, was arrested Monday on aggravated riot and aggravated robbery charges. All are Black.
Community activists, including Pastor Leslie Jones, say the disparity undermines trust in the justice system. “We’re demanding prosecution in the next 24 hours,” Jones told WLWT. “Our community is restless, and they’re watching.”
Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval has acknowledged the frustration, saying he has made it clear to prosecutors that “anyone involved in perpetrating the violence should be charged.” Until then, he said, “justice hasn’t been fully served.”
The mayor’s assurances haven’t quelled demands for immediate action. With the fight captured from multiple angles, leaders argue there’s no reason to delay.
The longer the case drags on without charges against the man seen on video striking and taunting others, the more the investigation will be viewed—fairly or not—as an exercise in selective justice.
