Cincinnati’s top cop is facing backlash after a violent downtown brawl drew national attention. Police Chief Teresa Theetge condemned the fight but critics say she ducked tough questions about why her team didn’t stop the attack sooner. A white couple was filmed being beaten, and viral videos showed officers arriving late despite 911 calls. Theetge blamed alcohol and crowded streets but stopped short of fully explaining the delay.
The incident happened after the Cincinnati Jazz Festival, where over 100,000 people gathered. Five people were arrested, but Theetge acknowledged her team’s special crime unit left downtown at 2 a.m. – an hour before the fight began. She praised the one person who called 911 but criticized onlookers for not reporting it sooner.
Mayor Aftab Pureval called the footage “horrifying” and demanded accountability. Theetge doubled down, saying parents and adults must model better behavior for kids. Critics argue her focus on finger-pointing distracts from failing to protect law-abiding citizens.
Dave Rubin’s latest show highlights a tense moment where Theetge struggled to address racial undertones in media coverage.Viewer DMs accuse her of evading questions about whether race influenced the police response. Theetge later defended her department but stopped short of denouncing bias in reporting.
Conservatives argue the outrage reflects deep frustration with police leadership ignoring core duties. “If you can’t protect innocent couples from getting beaten, why stay?” one commenter demanded. Theetge’s failure to apologize for delays fuels calls for her resignation.
The incident follows a summer of crime crisis coverage. Roving task forces and wild crowds leave no excuse for officers not intervening earlier, critics say. Returning older officers and boosting patrols is the only way to rebuild public trust, locals insist.
National commentators now use Cincinnati as a case study in “failed progressive policing.” Theetge’s focus on blaming others instead of fixing her department’s response to violence makes her a symbol of lawless cities, right-wing outlets claim.
Hardworking Americans watching this chaos see a clear message: leaders who refuse to enforce order should step aside. Whether Theetge stays depends on whether citizens demand policing that prioritizes safety over politics.
