CINCINNATI (WXIX) – Some Greater Cincinnati faith leaders are demanding answers and calling for upgraded charges against the man who is not only considered a victim, but also a suspect in the July 26 brawl.
Cincinnati police have charged seven people involved in the fight with felonies.
Earlier this week, police announced charges against an eighth person, a man identified by his lawyer as 45-year-old Alexander Tchervinski.
Tchervinski is charged with disorderly conduct, a fourth-degree misdemeanor, according to Cincinnati police.
“Equal application of the law,” Rev. Jonathan Bradner called for Thursday in Fountain Square.
Greater Cincinnati faith leaders voiced frustration after Tchervinski was charged with a misdemeanor.
“What took so long?” Rev. Bradner asked. “What evidence did you have on Tuesday that you didn’t have two weeks ago when you locked everybody else up?”
Tchervinski is seen in one of the viral videos slapping a Black man.
Other videos show Tchervinski being violently attacked over and over.
He is punched, kicked, stomped and body slammed by a swarm of suspects, many of whom now face felony charges, the videos show.
“We do not feel the violence was proportionate to the slap,” explained Pastor Damon Lynch. “We are not saying that. We’re saying if you had not slapped this Black man in the face, Holly would not have gotten punched out, and the night would have ended.”
Prosecutors have said the slap happened 47 seconds after the incident had already started, noting Tchervinski had already been hit.
But faith leaders and former judge Tracie Hunter expressed that Tchervinski’s disorderly conduct charge, carrying a 30-day jail sentence, does not compare to the 30 years the other defendants could be facing if convicted.
“Charges are carefully strategically, narrowly tailored when it comes to white people, but they throw the book at Black people, and that is what happened in this case,” Hunter suggested.
According to Fraternal Order of Police President Ken Kober, the lead detectives on the case didn’t want to file any charges against Tchervinski based on evidence that includes two unreleased videos of the entire incident.
Kober said the City Solicitor’s Office ordered the charge, which a city spokesperson denied.
In a statement to FOX19 NOW, the city spokesperson said the charges were filed based on evidence and supported by probable cause.
“I don’t buy that,” Rev. Lesley Jones said. “I think there needs to be further investigation that comes forward to the people. Tell us what did they get, because I don’t see that.”
The city spokesperson said the investigation is ongoing and additional charges may follow for anyone who engaged in criminal activity.
Faith leaders will be having a community strategy meeting next week to discuss their next steps.
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