The Latest: Governor disturbed by Rhode Island police video
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Latest on a Rhode Island police beating captured on video (all times local):
3:05 p.m.
Rhode Island’s governor says she’s deeply disturbed by a video of a Providence police officer punching and dragging a woman.
Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo said Friday she trusts an investigation launched by the city will get to the bottom of what happened.
Providence’s police chief, Col. Hugh Clements Jr., says a preliminary review shows the use of force was justified, but he’s looking at whether the force used was excessive.
Clements says the police officer who struck the woman is not being put on leave during the investigation.
Raimondo and Clements made the comments to reporters after an anti-violence event scheduled in response to the fatal shooting of police officers in Dallas.
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11:10 a.m.
Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza is calling for an investigation after a cellphone video surfaced showing a police officer punching and dragging a woman.
Elorza said Friday that after watching the video he has directed the city’s police chief and public safety commissioner to investigate what happened.
Public Safety Commissioner Steven Pare (PAH’-ree) says the video shows police responding to a disturbance outside a home in the early morning hours of May 23.
A police report describes a tense scene on the porch outside the home and a physical struggle between police officers and people they say were combative. A patrolman went to the hospital after being bitten.
Pare says he first became aware of the incident Thursday after the video was obtained by media outlets.
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