Providence police released five new body camera videos on Monday from officers who responded to a scooter crash last week that left a 24-year-old man critically injured.
Jhamal Gonsalves was injured Oct. 18 as police responded to reports of hundreds of dirt bikes, ATVs and other street-illegal vehicles roaring around the streets of Providence. Family members said Gonsalves remains in a coma.
"We're here because a young man is in critical condition in the hospital right now," Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza said at a press conference Monday. "Our thoughts go out to his family. We all pray for a full and quick recovery."
An investigation is ongoing to determine whether a police cruiser made contact with the moped. Black Lives Matter Rhode Island has accused the police department of intentionally running him down after video surfaced of a cruiser visibly behind the moped Gonsalves' was riding.
The accident prompted several days of protests last week from people demanding justice. At least two dozen people were arrested, mostly on disorderly conduct charges.
The videos released by police Monday appeared to show officers responding after Gonsalves had already been injured and was down on the ground, unresponsive.
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"These videos speak for themselves," Providence Police Commissioner Steven Paré said. "No, it doesn't show the crash, and it doesn't provide us with what happens. It's helpful as independent evidence."
Also seen on the footage is officers administering Narcan to Gonsalves, as it appears some officers thought he might have been having an overdose.
"They're not sure why he's not responsive," Paré said. "They know he was in a crash. Providence police encounter a lot of unresponsive people. One of the things we've trained for is Narcan in the event they're overdosing."
Officials said the initial findings of the criminal investigation are expected to be released within about a week.
"This is going to be comprehensive, thorough and transparent," Paré said. "Understanding how Jhamal was injured is a priority of this investigation and we're going to continue to get as much as we can possibly get so we can show independently what led up to the crash and the subsequent injuries of Jhamal."
