Police Brutality Watch -

Recommend Providence Officer Guilty of Assault with a Deadly Weapon in Coma Beating of Handcuffed Latino Man (Email)

This action will generate an email recommending this article to the recipient of your choice. Note that your email address and your recipient's email address are not logged by this system.

Email Article Link

The email sent will contain a link to this article, the article title, and an article excerpt (if available). For security reasons, your IP address will also be included in the sent email.

Article Excerpt:

From [HERE] PROVIDENCE, R.I.—A jury found a Providence police detective guilty Friday on charges that he struck a handcuffed suspect with a flashlight but acquitted him on a lesser assault charge.

Robert DeCarlo was convicted on one count of assault with a dangerous weapon but was found not guilty on a count of simple assault, said Craig Berke, a spokesman for the Rhode Island judiciary. The jury returned the verdict in Providence Superior Court hours after beginning deliberations Friday morning.

"Today's verdict sends a strong message," Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin said. "Excessive force by a police officer against a detained suspect is a breach of the public's trust and will not be tolerated."

DeCarlo remains free on bond pending sentencing. A date has not yet been set. Assault with a dangerous weapon carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

Prosecutors argued that DeCarlo, 46, attacked Luis Mendonca deliberately and out of anger, knocking the 22-year-old unconscious with a flashlight blow to the head.

Article Link:

Your Name:

Your Email:

Recipient Email:

Message: