Cincinnati police respond to unruly crowds on Opening Day; video shows chaos
5 LEADING THE WAY. THE BREAKING NEWS. BOY, THIS IS NOT WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE OR EXPECT. ON OPENING DAY IN CINCINNATI. A DANGEROUS AND DISAPPOINTING END TO THE NIGHT. AND THIS IS JUST ONE OF THE VIOLENT INCIDENTS POLICE HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH TONIGHT. A LINE OF OFFICERS THERE BEING RUSHED BY A GROUP OF PEOPLE DOWN THERE AT THE BANKS, AND THAT’S JUST ONE OF THE INCIDENTS WE ARE LEADING THE WAY TONIGHT WITH THAT BREAKING NEWS AS A DAY OF CELEBRATION IN CINCINNATI TURNS INTO SHEER CHAOS TONIGHT. SO MANY INCIDENTS THIS EVENING. CINCINNATI POLICE HAVE CALLED IN THE SWAT AND CRITICAL RESPONSE THANKS FOR JOINING US HERE. AFTER THE GAME. SHEREE PAOLELLO. AND I’M MIKE DARDIS THE OPENING DAY PARTY BOILING OVER AS YOU SAW POLICE SOURCES TELLING US TONIGHT THAT ALL NIGHT LONG, DOZENS OF OFFICERS HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN REQUESTING THEIR SHIELDS. WLWT. NEWS FIVE’S ERIN THOMAS ON IT FOR US LIVE AT THE BANKS WITH THE PROBLEMS. ERIN. YEAH. MAKE SURE YOU KNOW. OF COURSE, IT CONTINUES TO BE AN ACTIVE NIGHT FOR CPD OFFICERS. I WANT TO SET THE SCENE FOR YOU. SO, OF COURSE, TURNING YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS SCENE THAT JUST BROKE OUT JUST WITHIN THE PAST TEN MINUTES OR SO, THERE WAS A FIGHT THAT BROKE OUT, AND THEN WE SAW SOME OFFICERS PLACE AT LEAST TWO PEOPLE IN HANDCUFFS. ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE, THEY’VE SINCE BEEN RELEASED FROM THOSE HANDCUFFS. WE DID SEE THOSE OFFICERS RUSH FROM ACROSS THE STREET. THEY’VE BEEN KEEPING GUARD HERE ALONG MARION SPENCER WAY, BLOCKING ANY OTHER FOOT TRAFFIC FROM COMING OVER HERE. AND THAT’S BECAUSE OF A FIGHT THAT BROKE OUT OR SEVERAL FIGHTS THAT BROKE OUT EARLIER THIS EVENING. I WANT TO CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS VIDEO THAT YOU’RE WATCHING RIGHT NOW. VIDEO SHARED WITH WLWT, SHOWING SOME OF THE CHAOS AT THE BANKS, INCLUDING A MASSIVE CROWD SWARMING THE LINE OF OFFICERS. YOU CAN TAKE A LOOK AND SEE FOR YOURSELF. PEOPLE PUSHING AND SHOVING, FALLING OVER EACH OTHER, AND EVEN SOME FIGHTS. MANY FIGHTS BREAKING OUT. VIEWERS ALSO POSTING ONLINE VIDEOS THAT APPEAR TO SHOW OFFICERS BEING ASSAULTED, PROMPTING THE SWAT TEAM AND A CRITICAL RESPONSE TEAM TO BE CALLED IN. THE BANKS IS JUST ONE AREA WHERE POLICE HAVE HAD TO RESPOND TO UNRULY CROWDS. OFFICERS REPORTING PROBLEMS AT THE SQUARE, AS WELL AS WASHINGTON PARK. TAKE A LISTEN TO POLICE RADIO TRAFFIC HIGHLIGHTING JUST SOME OF THE INCIDENTS. POLICE ARE RESPONDING TO TONIGHT RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE GUARDHOUSE. I NEED FOUR OFFICERS DOWN HERE. GO AHEAD AND SEE IF YOU CAN GET ON TO JOE NUXHALL AND STANDBY WITH ALL YOUR PERSONNEL COPY STANDING BY. PERSONNEL AND TOOLS FOR ANYBODY UP HERE AT GOVERNMENT SQUARE TOWN SQUARE. IF YOU GOT A MARKED CAR OR A CAR WITH LIGHTS ON IT. TURN YOUR OVERHEAD ON AND LEAVE THEM ON ANY UNITS NEAR 202 299 CENTRAL AVENUE. GOT A REPORT OF A MALE PULLING OUT A GUN. AND BACK HERE, LIVE DOWN BY THE BANKS. YOU CAN SEE SEVERAL OFFICERS KEEPING WATCH OVER THE AREA, GOING TOWARDS ROEBLING BRIDGE IS CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. CERTAINLY A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE OUT ENJOYING WHAT STARTED OFF AS A CELEBRATORY OPENING DAY. A LOT OF CROWDS HAVE DISSIPATED, BUT OF COURSE, DEFINITELY AN ACTIVE NIGHT AT THIS POINT. CALLING YOUR ATTENTION ONCE AGAIN TO THIS AREA, WE DID SEE AT LEAST ONE PERSON PLACED IN HANDCUFFS BECAUSE OF A FIGHT THAT BROKE OUT EARLIER THIS EVENING. IN A POST ON SOCIAL MEDIA, CINCINNATI FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE POINTING THE BLAME ON CITY LEADERSHIP, SAYING THAT THIS IS, QUOTE, THE DIRECT RESULT OF A SOFT ON CRIME. CITY HALL AND HAMILTON COUNTY JUDGES, OF COURSE, WILL BE KEEPING A WATCH AND KEEP YOU UPDATED AS MORE DEVELOPMENTS CONTINUE. REPORTING LIVE HERE AT THE BANK TONIGHT. AARON THOMAS, WLWT NEWS FIVE. ALL RIGHT, AARON, THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE PERSPECTIVE DOWN THERE. BY THE WAY, ARE WE SEEING ON SOCIAL MEDIA? THERE WAS A POST THAT WAS MADE AND IT LOOKED LIKE A GUY. I MEAN, THERE WERE THERE WAS A FIGHT BREAKING OUT. POLICE ARE TRYING TO BREAK IT UP. AND THEN IT LOOKS LIKE SOMEONE GRABS AN OFFICER, THROWS HIM TO THE GROUND. THEN OFFICERS TRY TO GET THAT GUY. I MEAN, I
Cincinnati police respond to unruly crowds on Opening Day; video shows chaos
Updated: 11:29 PM EDT Mar 26, 2026
The Cincinnati Police Department responded to numerous calls for unruly crowds during Opening Day on Thursday.It came amid celebrations in downtown Cincinnati for Reds Opening Day, which drew thousands of people to the city on Thursday.Marian Spencer Way has been shut down by Cincinnati police due to the unruliness. The Roebling Suspension Bridge was also closed.See video of the chaos in the media player at the top of the story. Reports of the chaos came in throughout the day at The Banks, Washington Park and Fountain Square, among other spots.Cincinnati FOP President Ken Kober confirmed to WLWT that SWAT and critical response teams were called to help calm the chaos. It’s not clear if anyone was arrested during the incidents.On Wednesday, police detailed their plan to focus on Opening Day safety, which included the use of drones, a real-time crime center with cameras and bike teams.
CINCINNATI —
The Cincinnati Police Department responded to numerous calls for unruly crowds during Opening Day on Thursday.
It came amid celebrations in downtown Cincinnati for Reds Opening Day, which drew thousands of people to the city on Thursday.
Marian Spencer Way has been shut down by Cincinnati police due to the unruliness. The Roebling Suspension Bridge was also closed.
See video of the chaos in the media player at the top of the story.
Reports of the chaos came in throughout the day at The Banks, Washington Park and Fountain Square, among other spots.
Cincinnati FOP President Ken Kober confirmed to WLWT that SWAT and critical response teams were called to help calm the chaos. It’s not clear if anyone was arrested during the incidents.
On Wednesday, police detailed their plan to focus on Opening Day safety, which included the use of drones, a real-time crime center with cameras and bike teams.