Police are searching for five people charged in connection with a brawl in Cincinnati after footage of the incident went viral and prompted reaction by US Vice-President JD Vance and Elon Musk.

Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge did not release names or the details of the charges, and said during a news conference Monday that police were on the lookout for the suspects.

"Anyone who put their hands on another individual during this incident in an attempt to cause harm will face consequences," Theetge told reporters.

The melee happened just after 03:00 local time Saturday, Theetge said, and footage went viral after being posted online, including to a local crime-focused Facebook page.

It's unclear what triggered the brawl or happened before or after people started recording the incident with their phones.