Disturbing new images have revealed the horrific injuries sustained by a woman after she was attacked during a mass brawl in Cincinnati last weekend.
Footage surfaced online over the weekend showing the woman, known only as Holly, and a man being savagely attacked in the downtown area of the Ohio city.
Republican state Senator Bernie Moreno said in a post on X that Holly had given him permission to share the damning pictures of her horrific injuries.
Both sides of her face were extremely bruised following the assault, with her right eye a dark shade of purple and almost closed over due to the swelling.
Her bottom lip was also cut open slightly, with dark bruises seen around her neck and upper torso.
Moreno said: ‘This is Holly. She wanted to have a nice evening out with friends. Instead, she got this. Holly gave me permission to release the photos so that others will never suffer what she did. We need and deserve change.’
Jermaine Matthews, 39, Montianez Merriweather, 34, and Dekyra Vernon, 24, were taken into custody this week after the viral ordeal – which JD Vance waded in on.
Both sides of Holly’s face were extremely bruised following the assault, with her right eye a dark shade of purple and almost closed over due to the swelling
Her bottom lip was also cut open slightly, with dark bruises seen around her neck and upper torso
Matthews was charged with aggravated riot and assault, however charges against the other individuals are not immediately clear. Daily Mail has contacted Cincinnati police for an update.
It is alleged that Merriweather was the ‘catalyst’ for what detectives have described as a ‘coordinated attack’.
Search warrants have also been issued for two other unidentified people accused of jumping into the shocking melee.
Moreno also took aim at Mayor Aftab Pureval for what he described as a ‘weak statement’ from the city leader, and Police Chief Terri Theetge who slammed social media posts about the brawl earlier this week.
She said: ‘Social media and journalism and the role it plays in this incident, the posts that we have seen does not depict the entire incident.
‘That is one version of what occurred. At times social media and mainstream media and their commentaries are a misrepresentation of the circumstances surrounding any given event.
‘That causes us some difficulties in thoroughly investigating the activity and enforcing the law. Social media posts and your coverage of it distort the context of what actually happened, and that makes it more difficult.’
The woman, known only as Holly, is seen here on the ground following the horrific attack
Five people have been charged in connection with the violent brawl that erupted in Cincinnati
She added: ‘I will say if individuals were down there and participated in this event, it would be in their best interest to turn themselves in.’
According to Theetge, she believes that alcohol had played a ‘significant part’ in the brawl, while saying police only received one 911 call about it.
‘Nobody called the police. Nobody got us there as quickly as we could get there. They waited until they saw it on social media.
‘That is unacceptable to not call the police when you view this. Traffic was horrendous. People saw this, they were fighting in front of traffic’, she added.
In shocking footage of the fight, a man in a white t-shirt was shoved to the ground and beaten by two men as other members of the crowd jeered and joined in.
Jermaine Matthews is facing charges of aggravated riot and assault in connection with the brawl
Dekyra Vernon, 24, (left) and Montianez Merriweather, 34, (right) were also taken into custody in connection with the melee
The gang beat the man for nearly a minute as he lay in the middle of the street, seemingly stepping on his head multiple times.
When the barrage of attacks temporarily stopped, he was seen attempting to stand – but immediately fell over in apparent disorientation. One attacker yelled out ‘my man’s drunk’.
A woman in a black dress rushed to his aid, but was attacked by the crowd, suffering two blows to the face.
The impact caused her to fall, with her head slamming onto the pavement. Blood spewed from her mouth.
