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A fourth arrest has been made in connection with a violent Cincinnati brawl that took place on July 26 as authorities continue to hunt down suspects.
Dominique Kittle is facing charges of aggravated rioting and misdemeanor assault, according to the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department website. Kittle made his first court appearance on Saturday morning, where his bond was set at $150,000. His attorney stated on the record that Kittle suffers from paranoid schizophrenia.
The other suspects arrested so far in connection with the incident have been identified as Jermaine Matthews, Montianez Merriweather and Dekyra Vernon.
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“Let me be clear, there is no place for violent crime in Cincinnati, whether it’s fight or gun violence, we will pursue those responsible and we will hold them accountable no matter who they are, period,” Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval said at a news conference on Friday.
Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, told Fox News’ Martha MacCallum that the mayor’s response to the violent incident was “way too little.” He also knocked Pureval for being in Canada when the incident occurred.
“No apology, no atonement, no atonement for the fact that under the mayor’s leadership, we’re down anywhere between 110 to 300 police officers. There’s no atonement for the fact that when police do arrest criminals, the judges and prosecutors basically give them a slap on the wrist and send them on their way. The police are doing the best they can in Cincinnati. They’re the heroes every day. But nice words don’t mean anything unless you have actual actions. This is way too little response,” Moreno said.
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The brawl took place between Elm and Fourth Streets and videos of the beatdown quickly went viral on social media. The footage showed a mob attacking two people, including a woman who was knocked unconscious while bystanders filmed.
Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy spoke with the woman, who he identified as Holly.
“She’s a single working mom who went to a friend’s birthday party. It’s unconscionable that there were no police present in that area of Cincinnati on a Friday night, or even an ambulance to take her to the hospital,” he said. “Hard-working Americans shouldn’t have to worry for their safety when they have a good time in our cities.”
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Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge later revealed that out of the approximately 100 people who witnessed the incident or were involved in the fight, only one called law enforcement.
“That is unacceptable to not call the police,” Theetge said. “Traffic was horrendous. People saw this. They were fighting in front of traffic. Why didn’t people call us?”
During a news conference on Friday, Theetge called the brawl “an act of violence that shook us all.” She also vowed that all those involved in the attack would be held accountable, and reiterated her call to the public to alert law enforcement when they see violence taking place.
“Trust me when I say this: had the Cincinnati Police Department been notified in real time, our officers would have responded with urgency and force to protect life,” Theetge said at the news conference on Friday.
The FBI and the Justice Department have confirmed an open federal investigation into the beatdown.
“The FBI has been and will continue closely coordinating with the Cincinnati Police Department on this matter,” the federal law enforcement group told Fox News Digital on July 30.
Fox News’ CB Cotton contributed to this report.
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