Providence police officials say they will conduct a full review of the arrest of a woman, pulled by her hair and punched several times by an officer.
The incident was caught on cell phone video, which aired Thursday on local NBC affiliate Channel 10.
In the video, the officer can be seen dragging a blond woman out of an apartment, while children and other people look on. The woman appears to resist the arrest and bit the officer on the leg, according to Providence Public Safety Commissioner Steven Pare.
Although the video is concerning, Pare said more information is needed to make a judgment about the officer's conduct.
"Any use of force on video looks troubling," Pare told RIPR. "Even justified. So there’s a process, and there will be accountability."
The release of the video comes at a time of increased scrutiny of police, and questions about the treatment of minority residents. NAACP Providence Chapter President Jim Vincent said he found the video "horrifying."
"What I saw was a police officer dragging a woman by the hair a number of feet, and then when he stopped dragging, he went over her and punched her not once, not twice but four times in the face," Vincent said. "I can’t imagine what could have precipitated that response."
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