An eighth suspect has been charged in the July 26 fight in downtown Cincinnati that garnered national attention from the likes of Vice President JD Vance and Ohio U.S. Senator Bernie Moreno.
A 45-year-old white male has been charged with disorderly conduct, a fourth degree misdemeanor, the Cincinnati Police Department announced Tuesday.
"This suspect has also been identified as a victim in this incident and, as a result of Marsy's Law, we are prohibited from releasing their identity," the department wrote.
Ohio voters approved Marsy's Law in 2017. It gave crime victims in the state new constitutionally protected rights, including allowing them to prevent their names, addresses, and identifying information from being released to the public.
The man is scheduled to be in court Aug. 26.
Others charged
Until Tuesday, all of those charged have been Black, something local leaders questioned publicly. Video that appears to be early in the confrontation shows a white man and a Black man square off, and then back down. But then the white man slaps the Black man, triggering the melee.
It’s not clear whether that man is the one charged in the incident.
Cincinnati City Council member Scotty Johnson, a former Cincinnati Police officer, said earlier this month he had heard from hundreds of constituents wondering about the lack of charges for the man they see as the instigator.
“Only those investigators in the police department can answer that,” he says. “It’s kind of baffling, but that’s where the answers lie: with them.”
Six of the seven people previously charged face felonious assault and aggravated rioting charges. If convicted, each could face up to around 29 years in prison. The seventh person arrested was charged with aggravated robbery and aggravated rioting, WVXU news partner WCPO reports.
Video of the fight circulated widely on social media, prompting comment from VP Vance and Senator Moreno, as well as Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine to send Ohio Highway Patrol to help CPD.
— Additional reporting by Bill Rinehart
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