Video Shows Police Officer Dragging, Punching Woman

Public Safety Commissioner Steven Pare says the video shows police responding to a disturbance

Providence, Rhode Island, Mayor Jorge Elorza is calling for an investigation after a cellphone video surfaced showing a police officer punching and dragging a woman. 

Elorza said Friday that after watching the video he has directed the city's police chief and public safety commissioner to fully investigate what happened. 

Public Safety Commissioner Steven Pare says the video shows police responding to a disturbance outside a home on Stanwood Street in the early morning hours of May 23. 

A police report describes a tense scene on the porch outside the home and a physical struggle between police officers and people they say were combative. A patrolman went to the hospital after being bitten. 

Pare says he first became aware of the incident Thursday after the video was obtained by media outlets. 

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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