The Boston Globe
In the course of the altercation outdoors of The Touchdown Restaurant, a number of punches had been thrown, an officer was allegedly kicked within the groin, and a girl was knocked unconscious for a number of minutes.
NEWPORT, R.I. — Six individuals had been arrested in Newport, Rhode Island, over the weekend after a violent brawl broke out between law enforcement officials and members of a marriage get together outdoors The Touchdown Restaurant, on Bowen’s Wharf.
In the course of the altercation, a number of punches had been thrown, an officer was allegedly kicked within the groin, and a girl was knocked unconscious for a number of minutes after police stated that she had reached for an officer’s firearm. After the fracas had cleared, two individuals — together with an officer — needed to be handled at a neighborhood hospital.
The incident, which was captured on video by police physique cameras and by a bystander, escalated after a person was denied entry to the restaurant after which acquired into an altercation with restaurant employees, in response to a police report.
When officers arrived to the scene round midnight Sunday, David Onik, 44, was being escorted out of The Touchdown by family and friends. Police detained him, and as they had been investigating the state of affairs, his spouse, Rachel Onik, 41, allegedly “started injecting herself into the incident and have become uncooperative,” police stated.
She was led away by Sergeant Stephen Carrig, who “grabbed [her] proper higher arm,” when she then tripped and fell down on the brick and cobblestone avenue, in response to the report.
“This brought on a number of members of the family who had been close by to crowd round Sgt. Carrig and officer [Jaisen] Cole,” police stated. “There was pushing and shoving between the events and Sergeant Carrig and Officer Cole.”
Because the state of affairs escalated, a girl in an orange gown, later recognized as Alexandra Flaherty, 31, kicked Carrig within the decrease groin space, and the officer lunged again at her “in try and restrain her,” the police report stated.
“I struck Alexandra within the face with an open hand slap, once more to create distance, whereas I maintained management of the feminine within the white gown and black jacket,” Carrig wrote within the police report.
A person recognized as Robert Nash then “grew to become irate” and intervened, police stated.
“As I used to be pushing Nash away from the realm, I felt myself get shoved from behind, which I then circled the place I discovered an unidentified male straight behind me,” Cole stated within the police report. “I shoved him again, and right now Sgt. Carrig and a feminine fell to the bottom and instantly Nash started hanging Sgt. Carrig within the face.”
Video footage taken by a bystander and posted on social media, the place it was shared extensively, reveals a chaotic scene the place officers are engaged in a tussle with members of the group.
Cole and Officer Alex White pulled Nash off of Carrig, “and earlier than I may place him in handcuffs, I may really feel any person grabbing and pulling on my firearm,” Cole stated within the police report.
“Because of the concern for my security, I circled and threw a punch with my left hand which related with [Rachel Onik’s] proper jaw, who was actively attempting to seize for my firearm,” the report stated.
Rachel Onik was unconscious for roughly two minutes, police stated. After she recovered, she was positioned underneath arrest and brought to Newport Hospital for accidents to her jaw, head, and elbow. Carrig was additionally taken to Newport Hospital.
Brian Hodge, a spokesperson for Lawyer Normal Peter Neronha, stated in an announcement Wednesday that officers are conscious of the incident and will probably be wanting into it.
“As two of the people concerned have been charged with felony offenses by the Newport Police Division, the Workplace will overview the incident in its entirety, as a part of our normal felony case screening course of,” Hodge stated.
The next individuals had been arrested following the incident outdoors the restaurant:
Robert Nash, 30, of Marshfield, Mass., was charged with assault of a police officer, easy assault or battery, resisting arrest, obstruction of an officer in execution of obligation, and disorderly conduct.
Alexandra Flaherty, 31, of Marshfield, Mass., was charged with assault of a police officer, easy assault or battery, resisting arrest, obstruction of an officer in execution of obligation, and disorderly conduct.
Rachel Onik, 41, of Barrington, Rhode Island, was charged with two counts of easy assault or battery, resisting arrest, obstruction of an officer in execution of obligation, and disorderly conduct.
David Onik, 44, of Barrington, Rhode Island, was charged with disorderly conduct.
Olivia Costello, 20, of Milton, Mass., was charged with easy assault or battery, resisting arrest, obstruction of an officer of obligation, and disorderly conduct.
Kylie Swain, 28, South Weymouth, Mass., was charged with easy assault and disorderly conduct.
