The mayor of Cincinnati has responded to being rejected by the city’s police department, following his abysmal response to a July beating that went viral.
Mayor Aftab Pureval’s office released a statement in response to the no-confidence vote, saying he does not believe the vote “reflects the work we’ve done in collaboration with our officers.”
“We’ve had the backs of law enforcement, without fail, every step of the way since taking office,” the statement claims.
“We’ve increased police funding to address staffing challenges faced by cities across the nation, we’ve supported requests for new lateral classes and additional resources, and I have further funding increases in the pipeline as we speak,” Pureval pointed out. “I have been proud to stand with our officers at every turn as they make sacrifices to protect residents.”
“All of us have a common goal: the health and safety of those we serve. This is a time to work together and continue improving safety in our city. We will not be letting up on that work, and we will not be letting up on our investments in law enforcement to make Cincinnati as safe as possible,” the mayor added, concluding his statement by saying that he looks forward to “continuing to support all of our officers.”
But the Cincinnati Fraternal Order of Police sees things much differently.
“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,” reads a statement from the FOP sent to Fox News Digital.
Ken Kober, FOP president, explained that it feels like the mayor’s office just isn’t offering an adequate amount of support.
“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,” he said.”From political interference in law enforcement to neglecting the well-being of officers and the community, these failures demand accountability and change.”
One of the complaints that resulted in the vote of no confidence is that the office just doesn’t respond to serious situations with the urgency they deserve, such as the July 26 brawl that went viral on social media. It took three days for the mayor’s office to formulate and issue a response, and Mayor Pureval was on vacation in Vancouver until days after the horrifying event.
“According to the release, Aftab also ordered the city solicitor to charge a White victim of the brutal beatdown with a crime, which the FOP said was done ‘solely to appease racial tensions at the urging of a few community leaders,’” Fox News reported. “That led to 45-year-old Alex Tchervinski being charged with disorderly conduct. Tchervinski can be seen slapping one of the perpetrators in the viral video, but his lawyer says he was hit in the head 28 times and robbed during the attack, while trying to protect his girlfriend and another friend during the melee.”
The victim’s lawyer claims that Tchervinski was struck “multiple times” before finally hitting 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 at the time the charges were announced. “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.”
Additionally, the union says that the mayor “failed to properly condemn city contractor Iris Roley, who was accused of interfering in a separate police investigation earlier this month.”
Seven suspects have been charged in connection with the brutal beatdown caught on video. Jermaine Mathews, Aisha Devaughn, Montanez Merriweather, DeKyra Vernon, Patrick Rosemond, and Dominique Kittle have all been charged with alleged felonious assault, three counts of assault, and two counts of aggravated rioting. Meanwhile, the seventh suspect, Gregory Wright, is facing charges of alleged aggravated riot and aggravated robbery after he allegedly stole a chain from one of the victims during the melee.
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Author: Sierra Marlee
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