By Billy Cunningham less continue. Of course, Attorney Doug Brannon represents Alex Shrevinsky. He was the victim of a beatdown after the music festival, also a Reds game in which there were hundreds of thousands of individuals downtown Cincinnati, not
well guarded by the police department. My dad and Alex Stravinsky was beaten down, and there was a big news conference held a few weeks later by the city council members and by the mayor, and by so called civil rights leaders who talked about the white guy's gotta be charged because it's only fair the white guy started at all. Now we have the tape. We have the tape from three CDC that in the case that's not the case. Joining you and I now is Doug Brannon, the attorney
for Alex Stravinsky. And once again Doug Brannon, welcome to the Bill Cunningham Show. And first of all, attorney of Brannon, can you tell the American people, having reviewed the tape, what does this do to the case against your client criminally and what does this say about the investigation.
The opportunity to come on and talk to you about this, we have had a chance to review the three CDC tape and it unquestionably exonerates Alex from any wrongdoing in the census. He was hit and beaten multiple times. We have said this from the very beginning of how he was attacked by multiple people multiple times, long before he tried to confront one of the attackers and telling him
to stop. And you know, this tape is dramatically changes or should change the reality of what they've been portraying politically versus what actually happened that day.
Do you think the city will now drop the criminal charges against your victimized client? Is that this tape shows that this tape indicates that your clients should not have been criminally charged.
Correct? Correct?
And I don't think any law enforcement officer ever wanted to charge Alex because they knew what the actual facts were behind us. This was politically motivated to charge him and prosecute him. You know, they needed the public needs to speak up and voice their concern over this prosecution because it's wrong, it shouldn't be occurring, and their criminal they're revictimizing somebody that's already been brutally victimized and beaten.
How's your client doing today? This began July twenty sixth. Here we are October thirty. First, it's been what about four minds? How's your client doing physically?
You know, physically he is. He has made some strides in recovering. He suffered a large concussion as a result of the beating. You know, mentally it has been very difficult for him to get around other people, large crowds. You know, having been attack like this by a large crowd. You know, he still is suffering greatly from this.
You're also a noted personal injuries civil rights attorney. What does this do to the the pending civil lawsuit against the city who purposely filed criminal charges against an innocent man because of his race? What does that do to the civil lawsuit?
I think that it just gives more credence to the viability of those quaims against any against the city of Cincinnati. You know, this is not a claim that had to be brought. This is a claim that they brought upon themselves for their own wrongful conduct in initiating a wrongful criminal prosecution against Alex.
Have you considered I spoke to a US senator recently about this. These are US civil rights violations against the city of Cincinnati that could have criminal elements, could have civil elements against it, because a city under the color of state or city ordinances in law, cannot violate the civil rights of any innocent person. In the nineteen fifties and sixties, you had Democrats in the South filing criminal charges against people because of the color of their skin,
and the Birmingham and etc. Paid big money. Here we are in twenty twenty five and the same Democratic party but with different leaders, are filing have filed criminal charges against an innocent person for racial and political reasons. What does that do to the civil rights lawsuit and could it have criminal elements to it?
You know, that is an interesting question, Bill, and I think the federal government should be looking at this, and that falls under the purview of the federal prosecutors in federal court, and it certainly bears looking at because obviously I don't think this criminal charge would have been brought against Alex had he not been white.
Well, that's what the city fathers and mothers said that they held a news conference and actually said, including state Representative Cecil Thomas, this is the color of state law. Who demanded that their city that they led and continue to lead file charges and someone based upon their race, and they felt so comfortable about it they did it publicly in front of news, in front of microphones and cameras.
That's how stupid this crowd is. If you're going to act in such a horrible way, do it privately, but don't publicize your stupidity.
And they're still doing it publicly because they're still prosecuting Alex. This is how crazy these people are and continuing this wrongful criminal prosecution, especially after this tape has been made published. But they note about this tape. They've seen this tape previously, they've note about it since the conception of the events. Yes, they've done nothing to stop this criminal prosecution.
As we sit here at twelve forty five pm on a Friday, Halloween, which is appropriate for this story, the criminal prosecution of your client continues by the crowd who demanded he'd be charged because of the color of his skin. Let's go back in time a little bit here and talk about how the charges were filed against their crime their client. I think the fourth degree misdemeanors that carry up to thirty days in jail two hundred and fifty dollars, as was told to me by Sergeant Ken Kober, who,
as you know, is the head of the FOP. He said that the line officers doing the investigation would not file criminal charges against Zarenski because shall we say, they weren't proper, they were wrong. And the man in charge of the Central Business District then was Captain Henny Hnni, and now that same captain is the interim police chief. So the mayor and city manager advanced Captain Henny to the chief's position when the line officers would not file
the charges. Fiji wouldn't file the charges the chief, but a captain did and he gets rewarded by being the interim chief of police. Explain that one.
To me, Well, what I can tell you is, after reviewing the discovery that was provided to me in this case, that Captain Henny was not one of the detectives in charge of the investigation of this case. Typically, where you see charges being filed by an officer by investigating detectives, the ones doing the investigation that are handling the case are the ones that actually signed the criminal citation and submit that to the court.
That is not what occurred in this case.
Captain Henny was just the administrator he was not one of the lead investigators in this case, so there is a huge disconnect between him being involved and who the actual detectives are that are investigating this case.
A cop sent me the following text quote, Hanny was in charge of the Central Business District when these violent crimes took place on July twenty sixth. He did nothing in response to the violence other than file false charges, and now he's the interim chief who's being paid off.
It's like, Wow, well, I think that this is still coming.
We need to We have questions for the city manager and the mayor about how this is occurring, because from the information that we have been provided, it seems like they are trying to control this criminal prosecution for political purposes. So these are city officials that need to answer for their conduct in getting involved in this particular case.
Wow.
Well at this point, uh, this was leaked by somebody to Fox nineteen Trisha Mackie has do you have any knowledge, as the attorney for Alex Zervinsky, who leaked this tape?
I do not. I do not. It certainly didn't come from us.
We have been provided discovery in the criminal case, but we have not provided this tape to to anybody else. We have been using it to prepare for our defense for trial, which is set for December eight.
Did did the discovery given to you by the City of Cincinnati in the criminal case include this tape?
They were provided, They provided us with certain caps they the uh. This particular tape initially was not included in the initial discovery that was provided to us.
Wow, So have you thought about a referral to the US Attorney's Office for the possible criminal prosecution of the city Solicitor Emily Smartwarner, the city manager, and the mayor, and also for the public officials Cecil Thomas, Scottie Johnson, lemon Kearney. Have you thought about a criminal referral to the US Attorney's Office for federal charges against these individuals.
Well, we're taking this case one step at a time, villain. The first step in my first priority is to make sure that Aleans has found not guilty of this bogus charge.
And this tape proofs beyond a shadow of a doubt that the first punch was thrown at the back of your client's head by one of the criminal defendants other than your client who's criminally charged and This tape clearly shows that there were lies told by city fathers and mothers for political racial reasons in order to charge an innocent man that they knew or should have known, was not guilty of committing any criminal offense. His head was treated like a soccer ball on fourth and Alum and
almost was murdered. Many people thought he was dead, kicked in the head Reginald Denny style from the nineteen eighty nine riots in Los Angeles, kicked in the head and add insult literally to injury. Their client's now facing a criminal charge, goes his head. I guess wasn't a proper soccer ball. And secondly, the city solicitor, Emily smart Warner demanded the criminal charges be filed by someone who was not in the line of the investigation, that being Captain Henny. Is that correct?
You know?
That is what the evidence is showing us right now. Bill, That is absolutely what we see as well. And it's clear not only did he not throw the first bunch, he didn't throw the second, he didn't throw the throw.
He was hit so many times we.
Lost count before he even tried to confront the victim and stop this. Then he was attacked again, and if you watch the video very carefully, as this infamous where he sticks his hand down and touched the other guy's face and tells him to stop.
Another one of these thugs goes up, says.
I'm going behind him to get him, and that's when he's hit from both sides. An attack from both sides, both the front.
And the back. This mob had no intention of stopping.
Anything he did at any time was an act of self defense and get out of there alive was all he could.
Do that day.
It was lucky he got out with merely serious injuries. He was lucky he got out alive. And the fact that Captain Henny, not in the line of command, would file criminal charges against an innocent person, I would have to assume that Captain Henny knew at the time that the charges were false, because he either should have seen this tape or if he didn't see it, he should have demanded to be shown to him before the criminal
charges were filed. And the prosecutor's office, Connor Keelly has said repeatedly there's more to this than meets the eye. The county prosecutor is saying, look, we have more tapes and she's on her phone ire from the so called civil rights crowd not to file more criminal charges against an innocent person. But at least she's standing up to say no. But your information is that Captain Henny, who's now the interim chief, was not in the line of command.
But he's the one that signed the charges, according to ken Kober. Ken Kober said on our air with Me that the reason he did it was to save his men from being disciplined by the city manager for refusing in order to file false charges against an innocent person based upon race.
Think about that for a moment. It's mind boggling, isn't it. Bill?
And you know, when you look at this and as we're facing trial, I'm wondering what Captain Hinny, if he's going to testify for the prosecution, what he will have to.
Say as a non investigating.
Personnel from the police department that seems to be the state's representative here.
Well, let me make a guess. They're going to dismiss these charges after the election. They do not want you to have Captain Henny under oath. He's not you know, a cops I know say they like him. Captain Henny is now the interim chief. They like him, and he was putting in some impossible position of following false criminal charges on one hand because the city solicitor ordered it, and on the other hand, he wanted to protect his men from future action against them because they wouldn't follow
an illicit, illegal order. And now Henny and Henny in consequence has been elevated because he did what the city fathers and mothers who wanted him to do. And so Henny and I say, once again, the men respect Henny, but at this point he's in a bad light. Would you get out your crystal ball where the city continue to pursue these charges against your client when they know they're false.
Well, they've indicated nothing that they are going to stop pursuing these charges at this point. And like you, with this election looming, these things are certainly coming out and right now that seems to be very.
Important to them.
But let's see what if common sense may come to them after this election and they dismiss these charges. If not, I can't wait to get these people on the road.
Well, you're getting them under oath either the criminal case, which will be dismissed, or you're getting them under oath in a civil case. And none of them can avoid that because in this opinion in a civil case, and I know federal authorities are watching this case to see what happens. I'm gonna make sure this tape goes all over the federal officials, I know, because we can't live in a society where person innocent persons are charged with criminal offenses because of the color of their skin.
And no, you don't victimize victims. It's just not right, Bill, and you're all over it.
Attorney Doug Brandon, representing Alex Stravinski, Thanks for coming on the Bill Cunningham Show, and I'm sure we're going to talk again, but get ready for a dismissal right after the election.
Sound's good. Thanks for having me, Bill.
God bless you. Let's continue with more. Well, the truth will set you free or the truth could imprison you? After have peer of all. Bill Cunningham, News Radio seven hundred WLW