Cincinnati Police Union Votes No Confidence in Mayor Aftab Pureval After Viral Brawl [WATCH]

The Cincinnati Police Department’s union has issued a vote of no confidence in Mayor Aftab Pureval, citing what they describe as failures of leadership tied to the city’s response to a widely publicized July 26 street assault.

The Cincinnati FOP said it unanimously voted ‘no confidence’ in Mayor Aftab Pureval due to failures over the past month that have “undermined public safety, police operations and community trust.” https://t.co/TBfPKMs4Yl pic.twitter.com/r7VZwDbfAl

— WCPO 9 (@WCPO) August 26, 2025

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In a statement released Monday night, the Cincinnati Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) Lodge 69 announced its unanimous decision against the mayor.

“Tonight, the Cincinnati Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) Lodge 69 unanimously voted no confidence in Mayor Aftab Pureval, citing a series of leadership failures over the past month that have undermined public safety, police operations, and community trust,” the union said in the statement obtained by Fox News Digital.

FOP President Ken Kober criticized what he described as a lack of support from City Hall.

“This unanimous vote of no confidence is a clear message from our members that Mayor Pureval’s leadership has fallen short in supporting the men and women who protect this city every day,” Kober said.

“From political interference in law enforcement to neglecting the well-being of officers and the community, these failures demand accountability and change.”

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The union detailed its reasons for the action, pointing to delays and political actions they argue put officers and citizens at risk.

One of the central complaints centered on Mayor Pureval’s handling of the viral brawl on July 26, in which a man was beaten in the street while bystanders recorded the incident.

The fight occurred early on a Saturday morning, but the FOP said Pureval did not address the matter publicly until three days later, remaining on vacation in Vancouver as the video circulated nationally.

A white couple was brutaIIy beaten at a jazz festival by a black “teen mob” in Cincinnati yesterday.

0 national coverage. pic.twitter.com/IgPnVYwbme

— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) July 27, 2025

Cincinnati police released body cam video on Friday from the brawl on July 26 downtown.

It’s helping paint a better picture of what happened leading up to the fight that went viral across the country.https://t.co/EPpeFoefCj pic.twitter.com/PdkTPPhqHW

— Local 12/WKRC-TV (@Local12) August 9, 2025

The statement also accused Pureval of directing city solicitor Emily Woerner to pursue charges against a White victim of the brawl “solely to appease racial tensions at the urging of a few community leaders.”

The man, 45-year-old Alex Tchervinski, was charged with disorderly conduct after he was seen in the video slapping one of the alleged perpetrators.

His attorney maintains that Tchervinski was struck in the head 28 times, robbed, and was attempting to protect his girlfriend and another friend during the attack.

The lawyer further argued that Tchervinski had been hit “multiple times” before striking back.

“City Solicitor [Emily] Woerner and the Pureval administration’s blatant political meddling is the most egregious I’ve witnessed in my career,” Kober told Fox News Digital following the announcement of the charges.

“Overruling law enforcement and prosecutors for cheap political points is a disgraceful stain on our city, and those responsible should be utterly ashamed of themselves.”

The police union also faulted Pureval for what it said was a failure to properly condemn city contractor Iris Roley.

According to WLWT, Roley was accused earlier this month of interfering in a separate police investigation, but the mayor’s office did not respond strongly to the allegations.

Meanwhile, seven people have been charged in connection with the July 26 assault. Six suspects — Patrick Rosemond, 38, Jermaine Mathews, 39, Montanez Merriweather, 34, DeKyra Vernon, 24, Dominique Kittle, 37, and Aisha Devaughn, 25 — face three counts of alleged felonious assault, three counts of assault, and two counts of aggravated rioting.

A seventh suspect, Gregory Wright, 32, was charged with alleged aggravated riot and aggravated robbery after he was accused of stealing a chain from one of the victims during the melee.

Additional federal charges have also been filed against two of the suspects.

Merriweather was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, while Mathews was indicted for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, as well as for operating a premises for narcotics trafficking.

The Cincinnati FOP said its vote was a message that leadership at City Hall must change course to restore confidence in public safety and the city’s law enforcement.