Caught on Camera: Police Brutality Erupts at Peaceful Vigil for Detained Chaplain

A peaceful protest spiraled into chaos Thursday night when police officers were filmed violently attacking demonstrators demanding the release of a beloved former hospital chaplain targeted by Trump’s hardline immigration policies.

More than 100 people gathered on the historic Roebling Bridge — linking Cincinnati, Ohio, and Covington, Kentucky — to hold a candlelight vigil for Imam Ayman Soliman, a longtime chaplain at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital who was detained by ICE during a routine check-in on July 9.

But the night turned violent when dozens of police officers moved in with riot gear, pepper ball guns, and batons.

“I did not try to attack anyone. We were there peacefully, exercising our First Amendment rights,” said 26-year-old protester Brandon Hill, who was beaten and arrested during the demonstration. “It seems like some folks used excessive force.”

Shocking video shared online shows Hill — wearing a Cincinnati Reds cap — standing on the side of the bridge when he’s tackled by Covington police. One officer pins him down while another repeatedly punches him in the head as bystanders scream in horror.

“I thought I was going to die,” Hill said. “A gun was pointed in my face, and I was just trying not to get shot.”

Hill was left with bruises, head injuries, and suspected fractures. He was later released from jail and sought hospital treatment.

Authorities claim Hill tried to grab an officer’s pepper ball gun. Hill flatly denies that.

The protest was organized in solidarity with Imam Soliman, an Egyptian immigrant and father of two who served sick children and grieving families in Cincinnati for years. His sudden detention by ICE has left colleagues and patients stunned.

“He gave spiritual support to everyone — Muslim, Christian, Jewish, atheist — he never asked your background,” said former co-worker Denise Taylor. “Now he’s treated like a criminal?”

Soliman is currently being held at Butler County Jail, a facility under contract with ICE.

More than 50 officers from multiple agencies were deployed to the bridge. At least 15 demonstrators were arrested, including two journalists. Video shows one woman dragged away by her hair and another man shoved to the pavement.

Despite heavy police presence, no weapons were found among the protesters.

At a Friday press conference, Covington Police Chief Brian Valenti defended his department’s actions, stating the officer who punched Hill believed he was reaching for a weapon. Valenti invoked the death of a past officer who fell from a bridge as justification for the force used.

The officer has been placed on administrative leave with pay pending an internal review.

Civil rights advocates condemned the violent crackdown.

“This is what Trump’s America looks like — peaceful protest met with violence, immigrants jailed without cause, and our rights trampled in plain sight,” said ACLU Ohio director Sharif Munir.

Brandon Hill hasn’t decided whether to sue, but he is demanding a public apology and better de-escalation training for officers.

As Trump enters his third year back in office, ICE detentions and deportations have surged. Soliman’s arrest is one of dozens involving immigrants with deep community ties.

“This is no longer about policy. It’s about who we are as a country,” said Reverend Maria Torres, who helped organize the vigil. “If a man who comforts dying children isn’t safe from this administration’s cruelty, who is?”