2 Cincinnati officers injured as Halloween crowds surge in Short Vine area, police union says
Editorial illustration — Press Pass USATwo Cincinnati police officers were injured responding to large Halloween crowds in the Short Vine area of Corryville on Saturday, October 31, the police union president said. One officer was hospitalized and needed stitches; one person was arrested in connection with an assault.
Fraternal Order of Police President Ken Kober said the two officers were attacked while responding to a crowd near a BP gas station. One officer was taken to a hospital, required stitches and has since been released, Kober said. The second officer was treated at the scene.
Videos posted online showed large crowds gathered in the Short Vine area near the University of Cincinnati, where a "Halloweekend" event advertised online included events at multiple Short Vine businesses. One video appears to show an officer on the ground while a person repeatedly punches him in the head before running away, according to the Enquirer's account of the footage.
"The Cincinnati Police Department is aware of a video circulating on social media involving officers being assaulted," department spokesman Brad Underwood said in a statement. "We are looking into the details of what occurred. Our focus remains on the safety and well-being of our officers and the community."
Kober said the department's civil disturbance response team and other officers were called to the scene, and videos show police breaking up the crowds on Saturday. The police department has not released any further information about the incident, and police officials were not available for comment on Monday.
Some videos posted online reference a possible shooting in the area. Kober said he was not aware of any confirmed shootings there on Saturday, although he could not rule out reports of gunfire.
The incident came after a series of shootings near the University of Cincinnati at the beginning of the fall semester prompted Cincinnati and university police to team up to increase patrols in the area. Police also arrested a man they said was responsible for organizing unauthorized parties via social media, an arrest officials said led to a decrease in dangerous gatherings.
Kober said there were multiple "crowd runs" near the university over the past week and called it the worst behavior some officers had witnessed. The Enquirer said it has reached out to the City of Cincinnati and the Corryville Community Development Corporation for more information, and that its report will be updated.
Sources: The Cincinnati Enquirer, "2 Cincinnati officers injured after Short Vine crowds on Halloween, union says" (Nov. 2, 2026), reporting statements from Fraternal Order of Police President Ken Kober and Cincinnati Police Department spokesman Brad Underwood.
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