New information is coming to light about what might have set off the viral brawl in downtown Cincinnati that has drawn national headlines and sparked race-related controversy on social media.
Six people currently face charges for the incident. Four of them have been arrested.
Jermaine Matthews, 39, Montianez Merriweather, 34, Dekyra Vernon, 24, and Dominique Kittle, 37, were taken into custody a few days after the July 26 fight.
Matthews was first charged with aggravated riot and assault, but authorities have tacked on additional charges, including two felonious assault charges and one assault charge.
Merriweather and Vernon both face felonious assault, aggravated riot, and assault charges. Merriweather was jailed on a $500,000 bond, while Vernon is being held on a $200,000 bond. Kettle was charged with felonious assault and aggravated riot.
Matthews posted his $270,000 bond, but remains in jail on a hold, which means that another law enforcement agency has requested he stay behind bars, according to WLWT.
If he’s released, he’ll have to submit to a house arrest order and electronic monitoring through an ankle bracelet.
Viral clips of the fight show Matthews in a one-on-one encounter with one of the alleged victims. When that individual slaps Matthews, several other people jump in and begin beating him. A woman is also seen intervening in the fight at one point before being knocked unconscious to the ground.
The videos that have been widely shared online have been politicized by several right-wing social media accounts as a vicious assault on a white man and woman committed by a “black mob.”
During a bond hearing, Matthews’ attorney defended his client’s actions, stating that more details are surfacing that are helping piece together a complete picture of what instigated the brawl.
“I will tell you, that there’s a lot more to the story than what’s been reported thus far,” Matthews’ attorney, Brandon Fox, said, per Fox News. “We expect that additional information will come forth today. That information will likely dispel a lot of the narrative that’s already been placed out by politicians.”
Clips showing bits and pieces of the brawl have raised questions about what exactly set off the violence. Fox contended in court that the video showing the alleged male victim slapping Matthews is what tipped off the fight.
“That video that we discussed yesterday has now been released of that individual slapping on my client and then the fight ensuing thereafter,” Fox said.
But a Cincinnati police detective contested the assertion in court.
The detective told the judge, “We have video footage that totally disputes the slap being the first incident of someone putting their hands on someone.”
Fox also said that one of the alleged victims used racial slurs right before the melee ensued.
“That is the victim that is seen running down the street screaming racial slurs, the N-word,” he said, according to WLWT.
Fox also disputed one of Matthews’ charges, which is connected to a moment when the alleged male victim was knocked unconscious by someone. Fox said that the individual was not Matthews.
Matthews’ next hearing is on Aug. 8.
Videos of the brawl have drawn reactions from local and state officials, conservative pundits, and even tech billionaire Elon Musk.
Cincinnati Councilwoman Victoria Parks drew backlash after posting a comment on Facebook saying that the alleged victims “deserved that beatdown.”
She later told local news affiliate WKRC, “Nobody deserves a beating, but there is such thing as inappropriate actions, and there are consequences to actions, and that is what my post meant.”
The fight even sparked controversy in a small town just outside of Cincinnati, where a town official shared video of the brawl on his Facebook account with the caption, “Ten on one is n****r fun.”
He also posted, “Cincinnati has a problem and they always had a problem with the black citizens. Their [sic] animals and won’t change.”
Ross Township trustee David Young issued a public apology for the remark after an emergency trustee meeting was called, which several citizens attended. Still, he refused to step down, WLWT reported.
He is up for re-election in November.
