Feds investigating viral Cincinnati beating, DOJ confirms

CINCINNATI – The FBI and Department of Justice have confirmed that there is an open federal investigation into the vicious downtown beating last weekend that went viral online, shocking the nation.

“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 Wednesday morning. 

A DOJ official also confirmed Wednesday morning that there is an open federal investigation into the matter. 

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On Sunday night, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon intimated about potential federal hate crime charges. 

“Our federal hate crimes laws apply to ALL Americans. We [at the DOJ Civil Rights Division] will monitor closely how local authorities handle this attack,” she said on X regarding the beatings. “Nobody in our great nation should be the victim of such a crime, and where race is a motivation, federal law may apply.”

The chaotic scene caught the attention of Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, who slammed the assailants as “derelicts” and took to X to call for a federal investigation. 

“The do-nothing, extreme liberal Mayor [Aftab Pureval] won’t lift a finger to protect his streets and restore order, so it’s time to bring in professionals who will,” Moreno wrote.

Attorney General Pam Bondi thanked Moreno for connecting the DOJ with one of the victims, and for “caring so much.” 

The beatings occurred on the corner of Fourth and Elm Street in Cincinnati’s downtown business district in the early morning hours on Saturday. Video that has been shared widely online shows a group of people savagely assaulting two others during a confrontation, with a woman being knocked out cold in the street. 

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As of Wednesday morning, three people had been arrested and taken into custody, while two others had been charged but not yet arrested. 

Montianez Merriweather, 34, and Dekyra Vernon, 24, were arrested Tuesday night. Both face felonious assault, aggravated riot and assault charges. Merriweather is being held on a $500,000 bond, while Vernon is being held on a $200,000 bond.

A third suspect, Jermaine Matthews, was taken into custody overnight and charged with aggravated riot and assault. He is being held on $100,000 bond. 

Meriweather was out on bond after being charged with receiving stolen property, weapons under disability, improper transportation of a firearm and other charges earlier this month. 

Cincinnati Chief of Police Teresa Theetge denounced the attack at a Tuesday night public safety meeting. 

“Let me be clear, crystal clear, that was a violent, violent encounter,” she said. “It makes me sick to watch it over and over again on national news especially. I do not like Cincinnati being portrayed in a negative light on the national news. We can do better. We can so much better.”

Theetge declined to comment further after the meeting, and the Cincinnati Police Department did not return a Wednesday morning comment request. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Pureval’s office. 

Fox News’ Greg Wehner contributed to this report.