Six people were arrested in Rhode Island after a violent brawl broke out between police officers and members of a wedding party.
Wedding Party Arrested After Brawl With Cops
The scuffle occurred last Sunday after one person was denied entry into the Landing Restaurant, a dockside seafood establishment and local bar. After they were asked to leave and refused, police were called to the scene.
David Onik, 44, of Barrington, allegedly was upset when he and his family could not enter the bar.
Onik reportedly began recording restaurant staff on his phone, shoved a bar manager, and was restrained multiple times by bouncers after attempting to throw a punch at restaurant security staff.
While police were speaking to restaurant staff and Onik outside the restaurant, Onik’s wife, Rachael, 41, “began interjecting herself into the incident and became uncooperative,” according to police reports.
She reportedly “tripped” on the cobblestone while Sgt. Stephen Carrig was guiding her away from the scene, at which point multiple other females began “getting in [Carrig’s] face,” according to police reports.
At this point, video taken at the scene shows that as police attempted to restrain an unidentified woman, another woman, later identified as Alexandra Flaherty, 31, of Marshfield, Mass., lightly shoved Carrig, who turned around and pushed her away. Flaherty then allegedly kicked Carrig in the groin, and Carrig then struck Flaherty in the face.
During the brawl, Rachael Onik allegedly attempted to take the firearms of police officers Jaisen Cole and Alexandra White from their holsters, causing Cole to strike Onik in the face and knock her unconscious.
After video footage of the brawl went viral, Newport Police Department Chief Ryan Duffy defended the use of force by his officers during the incident and said those arrested seemed to feel “entitled to do whatever they wanted.”
“I do not have an issue with everything that I’ve seen thus far,” Duffy told Newport This Week. “The officers applied professional use of force that was appropriate and proportionate. That being said, I’m going to listen to what the results are from the review. But my initial reaction is that it’s an appropriate use of force and I support the actions of the officers that night.”
“You cannot kick officers or assault officers in performance of their duty,” Duffy added. “You have to expect officers to defend themselves and create distance. In this situation, there seems to be a sense of entitlement that these people could do whatever they wanted to do, and the officers reacted appropriately.”
David Onik, Rachael Onik, Nash and Flaherty were charged in connection with the incident, along with Olivia Costello, 20, of Milton, Mass. and Kylie Swain, 28, of South Weymouth, Mass.
In addition to other charges, Flaherty and Nash have each been charged with felony assault of a police officer. On Sept. 13, the Oniks and Costello pled not guilty to every charge against them.
Flaherty and Nash entered no plea to each of their five charges, including the felony assaults.
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So let me express this with restraint: if a man, a police officer hits a woman in the face and her head slams against the concrete whats the difference in A BlindSide and the person dies? NOTHING and I’d F Him up. He’s better pray shes OK and not brain damaged.
I dont blame the cops for being mad or for pushing people, but FISTING a WOMN in the Face, Knocks her OUT COLD and her head slams into the Concrete, yeah COWARD whole wh deserves what ever he gets
And 99.9 % I support police, nit this time a little Entitled balls cop
The police had no choice. She needed to be knocked out. Would it have been better if he pulled a gun and shot her dead?This was a out of control low life group. I back up the police here. That husband needs to be locked up for a while. They all seem to be drunk.