The city’s police chief called a press conference for Tuesday to defend the arrest of a man who was beaten by police in chaotic circumstances during his arrest at the city’s Dominican festival over the weekend.
Afterwards, Colonel Oscar L. Perez Jr. of the Providence Police Department responded to online criticism that he said circulated about a video posted on Instagram by state Rep. Enrique Sanchez.
The video clip shows a young man refusing to comply with the orders of Providence police officers when they try to handcuff him.
During the scuffle, a police sergeant hits the man three times in the middle of his body and then punches him in the face.
Perez said police correctly believed the man had brought a bag containing a firearm and that he was trying to “get to the bag” when the sergeant used “hard empty-hand control techniques” to get him to comply.
“Then a firearm with a high capacity magazine was seized,” he said.
“To be clear,” Perez said, “this was a hectic, chaotic situation and I want to commend the restraint and professionalism of our Providence police officers.”
Perez added, “I want to make sure you understand that this incident has been reviewed and properly documented and has been reviewed by supervisors and the Criminal Investigation Division.”
The sergeant’s use of force was within protocol and its purpose was to enforce compliance, he said.
The concern, Perez said, was that despite the presence of police officers, the man might reach into his pocket and take out the gun.
“This has definitely happened in many places,” Perez said.
According to the police report, the man was initially among numerous troublemakers who were told to move away from Miller Avenue near Broad Street.
At that time, police noticed that he had tampered with the bag in a manner that seemed suspicious to them and, with the approval of a sergeant on the scene, decided to arrest the man for disorderly conduct, the report said.
When they entered, an officer felt “something heavy” in the black bag, the report said. The purpose of the sergeant’s use of force was to “maintain full control of the bag” during the struggle.
