Vice President JD Vance has forcefully condemned the violent assault of a man and woman in downtown Cincinnati, calling for lengthy prison sentences after footage emerged showing victims being beaten unconscious by an unruly mob.
Speaking in Canton, Ohio on Monday, the Vice President didn’t mince words about the Friday night attack that left two people hospitalised and sparked national outrage after initially receiving limited media coverage.
“What I saw is a mob of lawless thugs beating up on an innocent person. It’s disgusting and I hope every single one of those people who engage in violence is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Vance declared.
Brutal Attack Caught on Camera
The shocking incident occurred at approximately 3:06am on Saturday at the intersection of Fourth and Elm Streets in downtown Cincinnati, according to police reports. Viral video footage shows a man in a white t-shirt being shoved to the ground by multiple attackers and repeatedly beaten for nearly a minute.
The victim’s head appeared to be stomped multiple times as he lay in the middle of the street whilst onlookers jeered. When he attempted to stand, he immediately collapsed in apparent disorientation, with one attacker heard shouting “my man’s drunk”.
When a woman in a black dress rushed to the man’s aid, she was struck twice in the face by the mob. The impact sent her crashing to the pavement, where she lost consciousness as blood poured from her mouth.
Vice President Calls for Justice
Vance was particularly incensed by the attack on the female victim, stating: “The one part that I saw that was really gruesome is you had a grown man who sucker punched a middle-age woman.”
“That person ought to go to jail for a very long time – and frankly, he’s lucky there weren’t some better people around because they would’ve handled it themselves,” the Vice President added.
When asked how to address such violence, Vance was unequivocal: “The only way to destroy that street violence is to take the thugs who engage in that violence and throw their asses in prison.”
Multiple Arrests Made
Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge announced on Monday that five people have been charged in connection with the assault, with more arrests anticipated. She urged remaining suspects to turn themselves in, stating it would be “in their best interest” to surrender at a police station.
Police union president Ken Kober told The Cincinnati Enquirer that investigators have identified four to five suspects believed to have participated in what he called the “savage attack. He confirmed officers were working “around the clock” to identify all those involved.
“I would ask… that the public play a part in this, because stuff like this shouldn’t happen in our city, but when it does, we need people to step forward, that way we can bring these people to justice,” Kober said.
Bystander Inaction Condemned
Perhaps equally disturbing was the response of witnesses, with only one person calling 911 despite approximately 100 people either witnessing or recording the assault. Police arrived six minutes after the call but found many participants had already fled the scene.
Kober called the violence “disgusting”, adding: “What’s equally disgusting is those who chose to watch and record instead of calling 911, attempting to defuse the situation or render aid.”
Chief Theetge expressed similar outrage, stating: “I am in complete disgust waking up to the viral video many of you have now seen. The behaviour displayed is nothing short of cruel and absolutely unacceptable.”
Federal Oversight Possible
The attack has drawn attention from federal authorities, with Harmeet Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the Department of Justice, announcing her department would monitor the investigation.
“Our federal hate crimes laws apply to ALL Americans,” Dhillon posted on Sunday. Nobody in our great nation should be the victim of such a crime, and where race is a motivation, federal law may apply.
Rising Violence in Downtown Cincinnati
The assault comes amid concerning crime trends in Cincinnati’s central business district. According to police data released on 21 July, the downtown and riverfront area has seen a 25% increase in violent crime compared to last year.
Chief Theetge emphasised that the incident was not connected to the Cincinnati Music Festival that was taking place that weekend, clarifying: “This was a sudden dispute between individuals following a verbal altercation.”
Political and Public Response
The attack initially gained traction after Tesla CEO Elon Musk questioned the lack of media coverage, asking “Why zero stories?” in response to claims that major news outlets had ignored the incident.
By Sunday evening, the assault had been covered by several local and national outlets following the social media outcry.
Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval released a statement on Monday saying he was “outraged” by the videos, calling the behaviour “unacceptable and disgusting” and promising arrests would be made soon.
Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno, who sent the video to Vice President Vance, criticised the mayor for taking “over two days to issue a poll tested statement” and claimed the victims had not heard from local officials.
Call for Safer Cities
Vice President Vance concluded his remarks by emphasising the need to restore safety to American cities.
“We have got to make great American cities safe again for families and children,” he stated, adding that prosecuting violent offenders was essential to achieving this goal.
The conditions of the two victims remain unclear as the investigation continues. Police are urging anyone with information about the incident to contact Crime Stoppers at 513-352-3040.
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