WATCH — Officials Condemn Violent Street Brawl in Cincinnati: ‘Intolerable’

A violent brawl broke out on the streets of downtown Cincinnati, Ohio, on Friday, and officials are denouncing the unruly behavior.

Police are investigating the incident that happened on Elm and Fourth Streets involving numerous people, Fox 19 reported on Saturday.

A witness said one man at the scene appeared to be intoxicated and walked away from the group. However, he returned about 15 minutes later with other people who were allegedly “overheard making racial comments,” the outlet said.

One clip shows two men fighting as others gathered around are shouting. A man in a white shirt ends up on the pavement in the middle of the street as others swarm him and start kicking him. Several bystanders are seen holding up their phones as they record the brawl.

Moments later, a man wearing a white t-shirt punches a woman wearing a floral printed dress. She falls on the ground and as the camera closes in on her face, she appears to be unconscious. Another woman rushes over to her and picks her head up off the ground as blood drips from her mouth. The woman in the floral dress then begins moving her legs as others at the scene help her sit up:

The conditions of the people who were injured are unknown, but Cincinnati FOP President Ken Kober told WLWT he believes they were taken to a hospital suffering from serious injuries. He said law enforcement has identified several people involved in the fight.

“I mean, put a bunch of adults who can’t behave themselves in public, give them alcohol, and this is the end result. There’s no fear of consequences so they just go out and run amok and it’s unfortunate,” he stated.

Videos show the brawl when punches were thrown:

In a statement regarding the display of poor behavior, Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval said he is confident that “arrests are forthcoming,” adding that “I am outraged by the vicious fight that occurred downtown. It is horrifying to watch, and this unacceptable and disgusting behavior is intolerable in any part of our community. That’s not who we are as a city.”

Meanwhile, Cincinnati Police Chief Theetge said, “I am in complete disgust waking up to the viral video many of you have now seen. The behavior displayed is nothing short of cruel and absolutely unacceptable. Our investigative team is working diligently to identify every individual involved in causing harm.”

The chief also noted, “It’s also important to clarify: this was a sudden dispute between individuals following a verbal altercation. It was not connected in any way to the Music Fest.”

Additional video footage shows the brawl from across the street:

Kober said he was also disgusted that bystanders did not call 911, try to diffuse the situation, or render aid to victims. He added that the lack of consequences was due to “certain judges” in the area who have failed to hold perpetrators accountable for their actions.

As the investigation continues, individuals with more information about what happened are being asked to call Crime Stoppers at 513-352-3042.