Article author:
Associated Press
Providence, R.I. (AP) — Rhode Island police officers have been accused of beating a woman in protest of an abortion in connection with a demonstration at the State Capitol on Friday.
In a news release Saturday evening, state police said Providence patrolman Jean Lugo, 35, was charged with simple assault and chaotic behavior.
Jennifer Luke, chairman of the Progressive Rhode Island Political Cooperative seeking a Democratic nomination for the State Senate, said she was at least twice faced by Lugo, who was running at the time. He said he was beaten. For the GOP nomination of the same seat. Providence police said earlier Saturday that Lugo had been suspended from his work on salary while waiting for an investigation, and Lugo then ended his campaign.
Friday's protest outside Providence's Rhode Island State House responded to a decision announced by the U.S. Supreme Court on the same day that overturned the Roe v. Wade case. .. Constitutional right to abortion. A video of the event posted online shows the physical changes in protests just before a woman who looks like Roke is seen being beaten. The video does not show what happened in advance between Lugo and Rourke.
On a phone call to the Associated Press on Saturday, Roke had another physical quarrel when he tried to escort a rebel who agreed to leave the premises, during which she had multiple The number of times the face was beaten. She confirmed that she had accused Lugo.
State police say Lugo crouched on Saturday, charged before a justice of the peace, and then released. He will appear in court again on July 8th. Lugo did not respond to requests for comment on Saturday and Sunday, but before the accusation was announced, he told The Boston Globe that a group of agitators "intervened to protect someone attacking." ..
Lugo also told The Providence Journal that he "will not deny" Punch's allegations, but added that "everything happened very quickly."
Rourke told AP that he had never interacted with Lugo and was unaware that he would protest.
"It's a shame he chose to use violence this way. As a police officer, he is trained to escalate. He didn't do anything trained. "She said.
Rourke sought medical care and had a CT scan on Saturday afternoon. She said she was okay, but there was a lot of tenderness on her face and her ears echoed.
Two other people were also charged after the events on Friday became temporarily violent. The message sent to them via social media on Sunday was not immediately answered.
