Harmeet Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Justice, posted on Sunday she and her department will be monitoring the investigation into a vicious attack on a white man and white woman by a mob of Black people in Cincinnati Friday night after video of the beatings went viral.
Dhillion commented on a post by Senator Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), “Our federal hate crimes laws apply to ALL Americans. We @CivilRights will monitor closely how local authorities handle this attack. Nobody in our great nation should be the victim of such a crime, and where race is a motivation, federal law may apply.”
Moreno had posted, “The Mayor of Cincinnati, @AftabPureval, who has an opinion on lots of irrelevant topics, has not issued a statement, let alone a condemnation, of this heinous attack. Instead of dreaming about higher office, which will never happen, he should be ensuring his residents are safe.”
Moreno’s post was in response to screen images from the video that showed a man on the ground being attacked by a mob and an unconscious woman with blood streaming from her mouth.
The original video was posted to X and Facebook on Saturday morning by Vice President J.D. Vance’s half-brother, Cincinnati mayoral candidate Cory Bowman. Bowman, a Republican, placed second in a May jungle primary and will face incumbent Democrat Mayor Aftab Pureval in November.
X version:
(Note: More videos posted by Bowman at link, but reposted below as they are restricted from embedding from Bowman’s X account) Bowman on X: “More violence from Friday night in downtown Cincinnati It’s important to state that during large events such as last night’s music festival (the city’s 2nd largest crowded event of the year) the Emergency Communications Center has a delegated dispatcher that is solely on duty for the purpose of the event. Sources within the ECC have stated that Friday night, no such dispatcher was on duty. This reinforces what we’ve known, that major problems exist in the ECC relating to crime in the city. Cincinnati deserves better…Bowman for Cincinnati | #FlipTheNati”
Activist Tariq Nasheed posted a video claiming the white man instigated the attack by slapping a Black man, “A group of white people were arguing with a group of Black people in Cincinnati…. And one of the white males decided to slap a Black man in the face. And things went downhill from there.”
WKRC-TV reported comments by the police union on the investigation (excerpt):
Cincinnati’s police union leader said investigators have been able to speak to the two people seen on several viral social media posts being attacked on Fourth Street Friday night.
“They’re doing everything they can. These investigators have been working around the clock to identify everybody that’s involved, to be able to locate those people, to be able to interview them, to be able to get a true picture of exactly what occurred,” said President FOP Queen City Lodge #69 Ken Kober.
…”There are still some people that have not been identified. I would ask is 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,” said Kober.
If anyone has information, they’re urged to call Crime Stoppers at (513) 352-3040 or to call the Central Business District Investigators at (513) 352-5445. They can remain anonymous.
Complete statement by Bowman as posted to Facebook and X on Saturday:
Violence erupted at 4th St. and Elm St. in Cincinnati last night. Let me tell you about a chaotic Friday night in our city.
The Banks, an area long plagued by crime, hosted a Cincinnati Reds home game and the Cincinnati Music Festival at Paycor Stadium. At midnight, I received a message from a friend who has lived at The Banks for 20 years: “Tonight, people are everywhere. I see one police car and zero officers. I hate to bother you, but I’m keeping you in the loop. This isn’t logical for any city.”
This week, the Mayor, City Manager, and Police Chief held a press conference and a special City Hall meeting to address these issues. City officials outlined plans for a juvenile curfew and promised enforced consequences for criminal actions. They emphasized that they are not restricting police or directing officers to avoid enforcing the law.
However, last night, as I received videos, pictures, and messages, I learned that officers were instructed to take juveniles to curfew centers, where parents would pick them up, without facing legal consequences for violating curfew or other laws. Officers have been instructed not to cite the parents for curfew violations. Officers were also explicitly told, “Do not bring them to 2020 (the juvenile detention center).” The problem? Many youths refuse to provide their information, and some parents don’t show up. This leaves officers stuck babysitting through the night.
Short-staffed and forced to prioritize which situations to address, officers are directed to transport kids to curfew centers rather than enforce the law fully. Many feel there’s no point in making arrests due to the county prosecutors’ catch-and-release policy. Officers also fear that enforcing the law could lead to criticism, with little support from city leadership.
Residents know what’s happening. Single mothers, children, and families of all backgrounds living downtown fear for their safety. Meanwhile, those who know they can evade consequences walk the streets with increasing confidence and boldness.
This is trickle-down incompetence from the Mayor, City Manager, the majority of the City Council, the Police Chief, and their advisors. Good people in the city, government, and police department are demoralized, feeling there’s no hope for change.
Our Plan:
Eliminate or reduce distracting and costly city initiatives, alternative responses, and community responder programs that undermine the importance of a strong police force dedicated to protecting and serving the community.
Encourage the police department to engage actively with the community, patrol in cars, bikes, on foot, and prioritize prevention, not just respond to worst-case scenarios.
Return control of the Emergency Communications Center (ECC), currently managed by city employees, to the police department, ensuring experienced personnel handle reporting and dispatching.
Empower police officers to enforce laws and pressure county prosecutors to uphold their responsibilities, ending the catch-and-release approach.
In recent months, since the primary election, my family and I decided to move everything back downtown, where we can hear every siren and gunshot. We’re not returning back to the outskirts in a week. We’re all in on Cincinnati because we believe it’s the greatest city on earth, and we care deeply about its people. This isn’t about red or blue politics. We’re at a critical moment where real change is possible if the right people stand up and make their voices heard.
I, along with many other influential voices, have NO CONFIDENCE in our current leadership. This must be addressed sooner rather than later. Lives are at stake. #FlipTheNati |Bowman for Cincinnati
The post Harmeet Dhillon Says Justice Department Will Monitor Local Investigation of Vicious Attack on White People in Cincinnati Caught on Viral Video appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
BREAKING!
