CINCINNATI — One of the men arrested in connection with a violent fight in downtown Cincinnati is now facing an additional federal gun charge, said Dominick S. Gerace II, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio.
Gerace said Montianez Merriweather, 34, was indicted by a federal grand jury Wednesday with illegally possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon.
According to the indictment, Merriweather illegally bought a 9mm pistol on July 2. Possessing a firearm as a convicted felon is punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
Merriweather is currently being held at the Hamilton County Jail on local charges, including aggravated rioting and felonious assault, in connection with a downtown Cincinnati fight from July 26 that has garnered national attention.
In court, the prosecution alleged Merriweather and another man charged, Jermaine Matthews, caused the fight that day. CPD Detective Barnabas Blank said Merriweather and Matthews coordinated an attack on others involved in the fight.
He said surveillance footage viewed by police showed Merriweather walking up to one of the co-defendants and whispering something to him, before walking away. From there, Blank said it appeared Merriweather and the co-defendant argued and the fight broke out; Blank alleged Merriweather struck one person in the side of the face from behind during the fight.
Blank said Merriweather's actions are what sparked the fight, which then drew in more people after it began.
"This was like the catalyst that set almost everything else into motion from that point on," said Blank.
In total, seven people have been charged in connection with the downtown fight.
Police have also charged 24-year-old Dekyra Vernon, 25-year-old Aisha Devaughn, 32-year-old Gregory Wright, 37-year-old Dominique Kittle, 39-year-old Jermaine Matthews and 38-year-old Patrick Rosemond, who was arrested in Fulton County, Georgia.
In a community meeting Monday morning, Ohio state Rep. Cecil Thomas questioned why Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge and other officials have not announced any charges for a man involved in the fight who appeared to slap another man toward the beginning of the altercation.
You can watch video of that slap below:
He said the lack of charges for a person who appeared to have incited the fight "raises serious questions on whether there is bias involved in the investigation."
"The Black community of this city demands to be respected, and until justice is fully served, this city can not and will not move forward," said Thomas.
Chief Teresa Theetge spoke last week about her department's attempts to speak with the man accused of slapping one of the suspects.
"Just yesterday, asking the investigators to go to the Justice Center, speak with him. He is represented by counsel. The investigators are aware of that. They spoke to his counsel before they went down to see him, and the counsel said no, they did not want the police talking to his client. So therefore, we have not had a conversation with him yet," Theetge said.
Theetge said in a press conference after the fight that anyone who "placed their hands on somebody in an attempt to cause harm" will face consequences.
"I don't care which side of the incident, the fight, they were on ... that's unacceptable," Theetge said.
