New Footage Shows Prov. Officers Hitting, Spitting At Teens

PROVIDENCE, RI– The Attorney General's office released Providence Police body camera footage this week showing officers hitting and spitting at three teens following a police chase in July.

On Wednesday, the Attorney General's office released a statement regarding the body camera footage, saying the authorization to release the footage was given now because the investigation is "substantially complete," meaning all witnesses have been interviewed.

"While those witnesses to the incident available to investigators have been interviewed, the investigation and evaluation of the evidence gained to date by this Office, the Rhode Island State Police and the Providence Police Department continues," Attorney General Peter Neronha said in the statement. "We appreciate the continued public interest in this incident and will share additional information with the public as soon as we are prepared and permitted to do so."

The hours-long footage captured multiple officers repeatedly punching at least two teens during an arrest following the police chase through the city in early July, WPRI reported.

Two Providence Police officers, Domingo Diaz and Mitchel Voyer, were suspending pending a use-of-force investigation following the arrest, WPRI previously reported.

The newly released footage shows one of the teens with his head and hands held back by an officer while another officer punches him in the face. The footage appears to show Officer Domingo Diaz punching one of the teens on the ground until being restrained by Sgt. Andres Perez, WPRI reported.

Diaz is also seen spitting in the direction of a teen who was seated on the ground with blood on his head.

One video clip shows an officer speaking with the driver after the teen was arrested and put in the back of a police vehicle.

“Do you see the severity of this?” the officer said to the teen. “The whole state was after you guys.”

The teen is seen in the video saying he tried to get his friends to stop putting the BB guns out the window.

“You just should’ve pulled over, bro,” the officer says. “You’re the driver.”

Two BB guns were found inside the BMW the teens were driving, WPRI reported.

No charges have been filed against the officers. The teens have all been charged with criminal offenses, but their identities have not been released.

The Black Lives Matter RI PAC announced Thursday it is planing to gather on Friday at the Providence Public Safety Complex to call for a repeal of the Law Enforcement Officers' Bill of Rights (LEOBOR).

"The videos are yet another example of unnecessary violence on the part of Providence Police," the group said on Twitter.

Speakers at the event will include Mayoral Candidates Nirva LaFortune and Gonzalo Cuervo, Gubernatorial Candidate Luis Daniel Munoz, Senator Tiara Mack and NAACP President Jim Vincent.