The Boston Globe
Through the altercation exterior of The Touchdown Restaurant, a number of punches have 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 folks have been arrested in Newport, Rhode Island, over the weekend after a violent brawl broke out between cops and members of a marriage get together exterior The Touchdown Restaurant, on Bowen’s Wharf.
Through the altercation, a number of punches have been thrown, an officer was allegedly kicked within the groin, and a girl was knocked unconscious for a number of minutes after police mentioned that she had reached for an officer’s firearm. After the fracas had cleared, two folks — together with an officer — needed to be handled at an area 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 obtained into an altercation with restaurant workers, in keeping with 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 have been investigating the scenario, his spouse, Rachel Onik, 41, allegedly “started injecting herself into the incident and have become uncooperative,” police mentioned.
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 road, in keeping with the report.
“This induced a number of relations who have been close by to crowd round Sgt. Carrig and officer [Jaisen] Cole,” police mentioned. “There was pushing and shoving between the events and Sergeant Carrig and Officer Cole.”
Because the scenario escalated, a girl in an orange costume, 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 mentioned.
“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 costume and black jacket,” Carrig wrote within the police report.
A person recognized as Robert Nash then “turned irate” and intervened, police mentioned.
“As I used to be pushing Nash away from the realm, I felt myself get shoved from behind, which I then rotated the place I discovered an unidentified male straight behind me,” Cole mentioned within the police report. “I shoved him again, and right now Sgt. Carrig and a feminine fell to the bottom and instantly Nash started placing Sgt. Carrig within the face.”
Video footage taken by a bystander and posted on social media, the place it was shared broadly, 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 might place him in handcuffs, I might really feel any person grabbing and pulling on my firearm,” Cole mentioned within the police report.
“Because of the concern for my security, I rotated and threw a punch with my left hand which linked with [Rachel Onik’s] proper jaw, who was actively making an attempt to seize for my firearm,” the report mentioned.
Rachel Onik was unconscious for roughly two minutes, police mentioned. 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 Basic Peter Neronha, mentioned in a press release Wednesday that officers are conscious of the incident and can be wanting into it.
“As two of the people concerned have been charged with felony offenses by the Newport Police Division, the Workplace will assessment the incident in its entirety, as a part of our customary felony case screening course of,” Hodge mentioned.
The next folks have been arrested following the incident exterior 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 straightforward 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.