An off-duty police officer who was running for state Senate as a Republican in Rhode Island has dropped out of the race after being accused by his political opponent, a Black woman, of punching her multiple times during a rally in support of women’s reproductive rights. (A white Republican cop punches a Black woman at an abortion rally. Somewhere someone is currently cashing in their white supremacy Bingo card.)
Source: APU GOMES / Getty
According to PEOPLE , the Providence Police Department is investigating one of its own officers, now-former state Senate candidate Jeann Lugo, who was arraigned on assault and disorderly conduct charges Saturday for his alleged attack on Jennifer Rourke, who was running against him
He is also facing internal charges for violating Providence Police Department’s Rules and Regulations including obedience to laws and rules, standard of conduct, courtesy, rules governing conduct, and demeanor.
All of this comes days after the five members of the U.S. Supreme court voted to strip away the body autonomy of millions of women across America, which had been constitutionally protected for some five decades.
“I was de-escalating the situation and the counter-protester was leaving when my Republican opponent Jeann Lugo punched me multiple times in the face,” Rourke told PEOPLE in a statement.
Rourke also posted video footage of the incident on Twitter where a white man presumed to be Lugo is seen punching a Black woman presumed to be Rourke.
Meanwhile, not only was Lugo released on his own recognizance after his arraignment but he has been granted paid leave while the investigation continues, begging the question: What the hell does a cop have to do to get suspended without pay?
I mean, here’s a cop who has been accused and formally charged with beating a woman. There’s video evidence of the attack happening and the officer has ditched his whole political campaign because of it. Still, his police department is like, “Eh—he shouldn’t lose a paycheck over that.”
On Saturday afternoon, a message posted to Lugo’s Twitter account said he would no longer be seeking political office this year. The account has since been deleted.
Luckily someone’s FINALLY come to their senses andThe Providence Chief of Police has recommended his firing.
Chief Of Police Recommends Firing Jeann Lugo
Mind you, Lugo hasn’t denied the allegations against him, he’s just been as vague about what happened as cops tend to be when they stand accused of police brutality.
“As an officer that swore to protect and serve our communities, I, unfortunately, saw myself in a situation that no individual should see themselves in,” Lugo told the Boston Globe in a statement. “I stepped in to protect someone that a group of agitators was attacking.”
Riiight—you dropped out of a Senate race because you were protecting someone being attacked, not because you were caught on camera attacking your political opponent.
It’s the cop-casity of it all, I tell ya’.
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