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CINCINNATI – Cincinnati residents say that the viral July 26 downtown beatdown that gripped the nation does not define their city, though some say violent crime is an issue.
“I don’t think it’s accurate,” Josh Pels, a downtown bartender, told Fox News Digital. “I would say the crime and violent crime in particular has gone up, I would say, over the course of the last six months for sure. [The Over-the-Rhine area] usually has it worse than we have it down here, but there’s definitely been an uptick in violent crime.”
In the video, a group of people can be seen pummeling two victims, one of whom ended up with “very bad brain trauma.” The incident occurred in the early morning hours of July 26 on the corner of Fourth and Elm Street, outside a popular nightclub.

The Cincinnati beatdown victim, known only as Holly, said she suffered brain trauma during the fight. (Tricia Mackie / Fox 19 on X; X/@Anthea06274890)
Local police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are still sorting out all the actions leading up to the fight.
In a Friday press conference, Mayor Aftab Pureval warned that everyone seen fighting will face consequences, vowing “further investigation, further charges and further arrests for every single person involved.”
Montianez Merriweather, 34, and Dekyra Vernon, 24, were arrested Tuesday night. Both face felonious assault, aggravated riot and assault charges. Merriweather is being held on a $500,000 bond, while Vernon is being held on a $200,000 bond. They remain in jail as of Monday morning.

Montianez Merriweather and Dekyra Vernon have been arrested in connection to a fight in Cincinnati that gained national attention over the weekend. (Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office)
Jermaine Matthews, 39, was released from Hamilton County Jail on Friday after paying a combined $270,000 bond. He was hit with five charges stemming from the beatdown, two counts of assault, two counts of felony assault and aggravated riot for his alleged participation in the brutal brawl.
A fourth suspect was arrested on Friday night.
Dominique Kittle faces charges of aggravated riot and misdemeanor assault. He is being held on a $150,000 bond. His attorney said he suffers from paranoid schizophrenia.
Fox News’ Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.