Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval calls it “an outrage.”
CINCINNATI - Over a dozen arrests have been made following multiple reports of fights at The Banks, Downtown and Over-the-Rhine on Opening Day . Cincinnati Police Interim Chief Adam Hennie says 17 people are facing charges, including disorderly conduct , possession of weapons while intoxicated, failure to comply, assault and resisting arrest.
“Yesterday, our city celebrated one of our most cherished traditions, Opening Day for the Cincinnati Reds,” Hennie wrote in a statement. “Unfortunately, as the day progressed, officers encountered several groups whose behavior became disruptive and unruly.” The suspects arrested during Thursday’s festivities are between 14 and 50 years old, “representing a mix of genders and backgrounds,” the interim chief said.he said in a statement Friday morning. “It’s the kind of behavior that forces us to look at and implement more severe crowd control restrictions in our Downtown. Thank you to our Cincinnati Police Department for your quick and effective work. I’m grateful that our Police, Hamilton County Sheriff, and state law partners were prepared with a coordinated and swift response to keep folks safe and prevent things from escalating even further. I am glad that they are okay. But we cannot ask this of them every night.” Cincinnati police called in reinforcements to disperse crowds at The Banks following the Cincinnati Reds’ Opening Day matchup against the Red Sox. >>Cincinnati police were met with resistance when they arrived, making it hard to reach victims, Hennie explained. Officers used bikes and protective shields, some carrying non-lethal weapons.Meanwhile, on the other side of the Ohio River, Covington police blocked off their end of the Roebling Suspension Bridge for about two hours, police spokesperson Captain Justin Bradbury confirmed. “Because of the volatility of everything going on in Cincinnati, we blocked the bridge to ensure the safety of those who may have ventured into Cincinnati, unaware of what was going on,” Captain Bradbury tells FOX19 NOW. They also blocked traffic from coming over from Cincinnati “to contain the disorder from coming into Covington,” he said. Cincinnati City Manager Sheryl Long says the region’s Opening Day traditions are now “overshadowed” by the “disruptive and violent actions.” “CPD did what it does best – protect the safety and security of our residents and visitors," Long said in a statement. “I want to commend the entire department for their preparation and collective response. I’m grateful to our officers, the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office and Ohio State Highway Patrol for working together to de-escalate the situation. As a community, we must do better.” Cincinnati city council members Mark Jeffreys and Seth Walsh are addressing the fights, saying the violence does nothing but disrupt a beloved city tradition. “It’s disappointing that a handful of people can ruin the day, and such an amazing tradition in the city,” Council member Jeffreys said. “You look at these videos; why are we fighting on Opening Day? We have nothing to be fighting about,” council member Walsh said. “This did not happen because there weren’t enough police officers, this did not happen because the DORA didn’t work, this happened because people decided to let their emotions get out of control.” Cincinnati’s Fraternal Order of Police President Ken Kober said Cincinnati police were called to different parts of the city to clear out groups of hundreds, or even thousands of people. He said many of the offenders were juveniles, who were tazing and macing each other “You could have had the entire police department working and it would have been a challenge to manage that many people. We had adequate staffing,” Kober said.“I want the city administration to come out and demand these judges hold people accountable,” he said.Several suspects who were arrested Thursday appeared in court Friday. Court records and the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office detail some of the incidents that brought danger and chaos across the city. Elijah Rice, 28, of Cincinnati, already pleaded guilty to one count of disorderly conduct for fighting in public, court records show. Tylor Brown, 24, of Dayton, faces charges of resisting arrest and disorderly conduct during a public fight. Jaronte Gills, 32, of Dayton, is accused of resisting arrest and disorderly conduct for fighting in the street.Shekwon Walker, 29, of Colerain Township, faces a felony assault charge after police say he struck the back of an officer’s forearm. He is also charged with resisting arrest, obstructing official business and disorderly conduct while intoxicated. Another suspect, 48-year-old Micah Taylor, of Mt. Airy, is also facing charges of disorderly conduct and using weapons while intoxicated. Central Business District officers responded to multiple calls about a person pointing a gun outside a bar, and he still had the gun in his hand when they arrived, according to his criminal complaint. He admitted to being in the Bay Horse Bar on Main Street Downtown and had a yellow band on from the Yard House at The Banks, which is given to patrons drinking there, police noted in the court record. He “did recklessly cause alarm to another by engaging in threatening harm to persons or property,” his disorderly conduct criminal complaint states. Before the Reds game began, a woman was arrested for assaulting a Cincinnati police officer during the Findlay Market Opening Day Parade. Iyonna Fairbanks, 34, of Cincinnati, faces charges of resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, felonious assault and assault.during a parade to hinder the function and movement of the parade. Then, they allege, she “did knowingly scratch face across his left eye to resist arrest, causing visible injury,” according to another complaint.Some of the suspects appeared in Hamilton County Municipal Court Judge Brad Greenburg’s courtroom. He released a statement Friday morning about how special Opening Day is to the Queen City. “Our traditions and history are unique. Violence and disorder will not be tolerated. Chaos at a large public event is dangerous and can be spread like wildfire. This court will set high bonds on these cases to prevent recurrence and restore law and order.”“Chief Theetge is deeply saddened by what is happening in the city she loves, and wishes the mayor would put her back to work as soon as possible so that she can help solve these terrible problems.” Theetge has been on administrative leave since Oct. 20 following several high-profile violent crimes.‘We will miss her terribly’: Sports reporter, her 3 children and family dog found dead in house fireFentanyl found inside Barbies sold at discount store, police sayPerry firefighters respond to shed blazeDaughters seek answers in their mother’s unsolved murder 13 years later
Fox19 19 Fox News Channel Cincinnati Public Fights Officer Assaulted At Parade Man Pointed Gun At Crowd: Court Records Show Open Fights After Opening Day Arrets Mayor Statement After Arrests 17 Arrested Charged Over ‘Unruly Behavior’ At Cincinnati’S Op Police Say Cincinnati News Breaking News Local News Trending News Crime Crime News Is Cincinnati Safe Safety Safety Plans 17 Arrested Over ‘Unruly’ Behavior At Cincinnati’S Police Say City Manager Sheryl Long Sheryl Long Cincinnati Mayor Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval Aftab Pureval Criminal History Who Was Arrested Last Night Busted Disorderly Conduct Unruly Violent Behavior Is The Banks Safe Juvenile History Juvenile Crime Juvenile Violence Videos From The Banks Videos From Cincinnati Opening Day Court Records: Officer Assaulted During Parade Man Points Gun Outside Bar Elijah Rice Tylor Brown Jaronte Gills Kendrick Sartor Shekwon Walker Micah Taylor Iyonna Fairbanks Findlay Market Opening Day Parade Opening Day What Happened At Cincinnati Opening Day
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