A protest over abortion rights turned into chaos in Rhode Island on Friday, after it appears a state Senate candidate was hit in the face by her Republican opponent.
“I am an organizer of reproductive rights and a candidate for the state Senate. Last night, after speaking at our Roe rally, my Republican opponent, a police officer, violently attacked me,” the Democratic candidate tweeted. Jennifer Rourke on Saturday morning.
The alleged assailant, Jeann Lugo, was confirmed as an agent involved by the Providence police department.
Speaking to The Daily Beast, Rourke said he is a member of the organization’s board that helped organize Friday’s rally. After delivering a speech, he said, he stepped aside and noticed an altercation involving a counter-protester, whom he encouraged to leave the venue. (The video of the incident appeared to show that the counter-protester was suddenly hit by another individual.)
Almost immediately afterwards, Rourke said she hit her herself, apparently for Lugo.
“I just said,‘ He hit me. He hit me, “he recalled.” And he ran away. “He said he had never had a conversation with the off-duty policeman before.
Lugo, whose Twitter account was intermittently shut down on Saturday, tweeted that “he would no longer show up at any office this fall,” following the incident. Friday’s protest was generally peaceful, according to reports.
The Providence police department, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment, also tweeted Saturday that “it is criminally investigating the behavior of an off-duty officer last night during a protest where a woman was assaulted. “. The agent was placed on paid administrative leave.
Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza said he could only make limited comments due to the law enforcement rights statement, but noted that he had “seen the video” and found it “immensely disturbing.”
“Those responsible will be fully responsible,” he added.
Lugo could not be reached immediately for comment.
Rourke told The Daily Beast that he has suffered symptoms such as a concussion and has been in contact with Providence police to file charges. He went to the hospital over the weekend to receive a precautionary CT scan, he said, and doctors told him to return if his symptoms worsened.
“Incidents like this are the reason why many black and brown candidates do not run for office,” he added.
Speaking to Providence Journal journalist Amy Russo on Friday, Lugo alleged that Rourke had become “physical with him” in the moments leading up to the incident. Rourke “strongly” denied that claim, Russo said.
Friday before, after the Supreme Court voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, Lugo had tweeted his opinion that some politicians were overreacting to the news by alleging that the decision was an “assault on democracy”.
“This Supreme Court ruling does not rule out the possibility of abortion in the U.S.,” he wrote. “All it does is give states the right to decide for themselves, nothing more.”
According to its website, Lugo, 35, spent his teenage years in foster care before starting a career in security. He spent more than a decade working for a security company before enrolling at the Providence Police Academy.
Lugo operated with a platform for tax reduction, foster care reform and educational reform. Before he apparently deleted his Twitter account, he had also retweeted videos of pro-life marches.
Rourke, meanwhile, has backed proposals for a Green New Deal in Rhode Island, a minimum wage raised to $ 19 an hour, free childcare and other progressive policies.
He will continue in the race against Senate Majority Leader Michael McCaffrey.