Controversial arrest at Dominican Festival clears internal affair review, Providence chief says

The city's police chief called a press conference on Tuesday to defend the arrest of a man who drew punches from police as he was taken into custody, in chaotic conditions, at the city's Dominican Festival over the weekend.

Providence police Col. Oscar L. Perez Jr. then gave his own response to online criticism he said was swirling around video that state Rep. Enrique Sanchez had posted to Instagram.

The video clip shows a young man, who is refusing to comply with Providence police officers while they try to handcuff him.

A police sergeant in the tussle delivers three punches to the man's midsection followed by a blow to the man's face.

Perez said police believed, correctly, that the man had brought a satchel that contained a firearm, and he was trying "to get at the satchel" when the sergeant delivered "hard empty hand control techniques" to achieve compliance.

"A firearm with a high-capacity magazine was then seized," he said.

"Let's 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 was reviewed, documented properly, reviewed by supervisors, reviewed by internal affairs."

The sergeant's force was within protocols and its purpose was to compel compliance, he said.

The concern, Perez said, was that despite the presence of police officers the man could potentially reach into the bag and grab the gun.

"Absolutely this has happened in many places," Perez said.

Initially, the man had been among various disorderly people who were told to disperse from Miller Avenue near Broad Street, according to the police report.

At that time, police observed that he was "manipulating the satchel" in ways that they found suspicious and they had decided, with approval from a sergeant on the scene, to detain the man for disorderly conduct, says the report.

When they moved in, an officer "felt something heavy" in the black satchel, the report says. The purpose for the sergeant's use of force, it says, was to "maintain positive control over the satchel" during the struggle.

Sanchez had a different interpretation of the video.

"This type of police behavior is unacceptable and morally unjustified," says his Instagram post. "We cannot continue to allow for our communities to be treated this way by authorities."

"It was [a] festival for God's Sake," his post says.

"If you think for one minute you are going to come to the city, engage in drinking and in reckless actions and carry a firearm you better bet that the Providence Police Department will do their job," said Perez.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Controversial arrest at Dominican Festival clears internal affair review, Providence chief says