Cincinnati official under fire for celebrating brutal attack: ‘They begged for that beatdown!’
An Ohio city council member disturbingly claimed that the victims of the Cincinnati downtown brawl were asking to be assaulted during the ruthless mob attack.
“They asked for that beatdown,” Cincinnati Councilwoman Victoria Parks replied to video of the July 27 brawl on Facebook.
“I am grateful for the whole story,” she added.
The 67-year-old Democrat angered Cincinnati’s police union boss, who blasted Parks for the comments and called for her resignation.
A woman lies on the street after being knocked unconscious during a brawl in Cincinnati, Ohio.X
State Rep. Phil Plummer (R-Montgomery) also demanded Parks step down.
“Cincinnati Councilwoman Victoria Parks must resign immediately! Defending violent criminals who viciously beat innocent people is disgusting,” Plummer said on X. “Her words ‘They begged for that beat down!’ are outrageous. Prosecutors must charge the attackers with a hate crime. We must protect our streets!”
Cincinnati City Councilwoman Victoria ParksVictoria Parks/Facebook
Footage of the early morning viral attack captured fights breaking out in the middle of a crowd of approximately 100 revelers in the heart of downtown Cincinnati.
A white man and a woman appeared to be relentlessly targeted by a group of largely black assailants, according to the viral footage.
The two victims were brutally punched as they lay defenseless on the ground.
The unidentified female was knocked out cold during the savage attack.
A crowd forms in downtown Cincinnati during the nighttime brawl.X
The victims sustained serious injuries, including a concussion.
Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge announced five people had been arrested and charged in the beatdown on Tuesday.
Several people throw punches during the chaotic scene.X
Montianez Merriweather, 34, Dekyra Vernon, 24, and Jermaine Matthews, 39, were all slapped with charges including felonious assault and aggravated riot.
Police alleged Merriweather and Matthews coordinated the “ambush” attack as they were on Elm and Fourth streets.
“Ultimately, we do have on video Mr. Merriweather walking up to co-defendant. He whispers something to him, then walks back behind the victim,” a Cincinnati police detective testified in court Wednesday, according to WXIX.
Victoria Parks announced that she would not seek re-election, and will retire after her current term ends. Victoria Parks/Facebook
“As to Merriweather’s involvement in this, we believe he coordinated this with Mr. Matthews. He walked up to him on the video, whispered something to him and then strategically placed himself behind the victim as the assault began,” the detective added.
Parks began serving in her seat in January 2022. She announced she would not be seeking re-election for this year’s general election and her plans to retire this past January.
Her Facebook account says she was formerly the commissioner at Hamilton County, Ohio, government after she served as the former chief of staff to Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune.
In her official city biography page, Parks says she “led the charge in passing Racism as a Public Health Crisis” when working for Hamilton County.
It also says she “introduced, and passed, Juneteenth as a paid holiday for Hamilton County employees.”
