This is the kind of viral moment no city wants — and one that Cincinnati officials are now scrambling to contain.
Over the weekend, chaos erupted Downtown when what Police Chief Teresa Theetge described as a “violent fight of 100 or so people” spilled into the streets around Fourth and Elm. The brawl, which happened around 3 a.m. Saturday, was captured in multiple videos and quickly spread online, drawing national attention — and sharp criticism — from the likes of Vice President JD Vance, Elon Musk, and Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval.
But Chief Theetge says the viral clips only show part of the story. In a press conference Monday, she pushed back on what she called distortions by social media and the mainstream press, insisting that the videos circulating lack context. “It just shows one side of the equation without context,” she said.
🚨WATCH: Cincinnati Police Chief Terri Theetge attacks those who shared the video of the black mob assaulting the white couple.
She claims the footage “distorted” and “misrepresented” what really happened.
Instead of blaming the violent thugs caught on camera, she’s pointing… pic.twitter.com/RXrM0iAJzw
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) July 29, 2025
According to Theetge, only one person actually called 911 to report the melee, which delayed the police response. By the time two officers arrived on the scene six minutes later, most of the crowd had dispersed. “Nobody got us there as quickly as we could get there. They waited until they saw it on social media,” Theetge said, chastising bystanders for failing to alert authorities. More officers arrived shortly after, though she did not specify whether the department’s new drone program — which launched that same day — was used to respond.
Investigators have since identified five suspects and filed charges, but none are currently in custody. Theetge vowed that anyone caught “putting their hands on another individual in an attempt to cause harm will face consequences.”
The footage is disturbing: one man pummeled to the ground by a group, another punching a woman who collapses and lies motionless before being helped up. But Theetge attributed much of the night’s violence to overconsumption of alcohol, taking aim at bars for overserving patrons during a weekend packed with events — the Cincinnati Music Festival, a Reds game, and a Big3 basketball tournament that drew an estimated 150,000 people Downtown.
Is there some requirement that every left-wing city be led by a schoolmarming woman who’s terrible at her job? https://t.co/sFgCmzQ4iz
— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) July 29, 2025
The incident comes amid an ongoing push to tamp down crime in the city’s core, particularly Downtown and Over-the-Rhine. In recent weeks, Theetge has rolled out a 30-officer street crime task force targeting hot spots, particularly those linked to juvenile offenses. She says recent data shows crime is “stabilizing,” but the viral brawl has reignited fears about safety.
Asked if people should still feel safe visiting the area, Theetge didn’t hesitate: “I will go downtown. I will patronize. I will encourage my family members to go downtown and patronize,” she said — with one caveat. “What I won’t do is tell them to over-consume alcohol, and I would not encourage them to be downtown when all the bars are letting out at three o’clock in the morning.”
