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Wyatt Detention Facility truck attack
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| Wyatt Detention Facility truck attack | |
|---|---|
| Location | Central Falls, Rhode Island |
| Date | August 14, 2019 |
| Target | Never Again Action protestors |
| Deaths | 0 |
| Injured | 5+ |
| Assailants | Captain Thomas Woodworth |
The Wyatt Detention Facility truck incident is the term for an event which took place on August 14, 2019 at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility in Central Falls, Rhode Island. Several hundred protesters were organized outside of a parking lot by the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility in Central Falls, Rhode Island when an ICE employee drive his pickup truck unto the protesters.[1][2][3][4] The incident broke the leg and caused internal bleeding of a 64 year old protester.[5] Immediately afterwards, ICE guards pepper sprayed the protesters and the guard who drove the truck was not detained.[6] On August 15, 2019 the driver of the truck, Captain Thomas Woodworth, was placed on leave[7] and he resigned the next day [8]. The incident prompted an investigation by the Rhode Island Attorney General[9], which lead to a grand jury trial which resulted in
Background
Never Again Providence is the local affiliate of Never Again Action, a mass mobilization of Jews and allies who are organizing to shut down United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and hold the political establishment accountable for enabling the separation of immigrant families across the United States for decades and the current crisis at the border.
Victims
Wounded survivors:
- Jerry Belair, a Providence lawyer,
- Ellen Bar-Zemer, ?, struck by the truck
- Jackie, ?, struck and thrown by the truck, suffered road rash, swelling, bruising [10]
- Evan, ?, struck by the truck[11]
- template people from Greensboro Massacre
- Dr. Paul Bermanzohn, CWP organizer and physician, required brain surgery, suffered paralyzed left hand;
- Tom Clark;
- Dr. Martha "Marty" Nathan, CWP member and physician, widow of Michael Nathan;
- Rev. Nelson Johnson, organizer and CWP member
- Jim Wrenn, critically wounded, required brain surgery;
- Harold Flowers, KKK member, shot in the arm and left leg.
Protest
The protest outside the Wyatt Detention Center on Wednesday night began at Jenks Park in Central Falls before marching the half mile or so to the facility. Over 500 people participated in the protest and the march, which was organized by Never Again Providence “to continue demonstrating against the prison’s contract with ICE, highlight ICE’s inhumane treatment of immigrants here in Rhode Island and across the country, and work to shut down ICE’s deportation machine for as long as possible.”[12]
In an interview with Uprise RI, Jackie ?, a victim of the truck attack, reported that she “...looked [Captain Thomas Woodworth] in the eye and told him, ‘You hit me,’ and he shrugged.”[11]
Following the protest, Central Falls Police officers at the scene declined to intervene, arrest the guard, or take down witness statements when approached by protesters. Former Rhode Island State Representative Aaron Rugunberg, one of the organizers of the Never Again Providence protest, was quoted by Kevin Andrade in the Providence Journal saying, “I also want to make very clear that literally dozens of us from tonight’s protest asked, clamored, demanded that the police take witness statements about the attack, and they actively refused to do so.”[13]
Aftermath
Reactions
Rhode Island House Minority Leader Blake Filippi (R-Block Island, Charlestown, South Kingstown, Westerly) tweeted his reaction to the incident early Thursday morning. “Expecting swift and decisive action by law enforcement,” Filippi said. “The actions by the truck driver don’t appear to be in self defense, or defense of others, from imminent harm - the only justification for violence.”[13]
State prosecution
References
- ^ "Truck drives into protesters blocking entrance to ICE detention center (VIDEO)". RT International. Retrieved 2019-08-15.
- ^ "Man in pick-up truck drives into group of ICE protesters in Rhode Island". NBC News. Retrieved 2019-08-15.
- ^ Zhao, Christina; EDT, Matt Keeley On 8/15/19 at 2:05 AM (2019-08-15). "An correctional officer allegedly drove a truck into a group of Jewish peaceful protesters outside a detention center". Newsweek. Retrieved 2019-08-15.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Beauchamp, Zack (2019-08-15). "Trump's transparent attempt to manipulate American Jews". Vox. Retrieved 2019-08-15.
- ^ Andrade, Kevin G. "Protest group: Warren man, 64, suffered broken leg, internal bleeding after being hit by pickup truck at Wyatt Detention Facility". providencejournal.com. Retrieved 2019-08-15.
- ^ "Protestors Outside Rhode Island ICE Facility Are Hit by Truck — and Group Says Driver Was Officer". PEOPLE.com. Retrieved 2019-08-15.
- ^ "Captain Placed On Leave After Wyatt ICE Protest Turns Violent". Providence, RI Patch. 2019-08-15. Retrieved 2019-08-15.
- ^ https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/corrections-officer-who-drove-truck-through-ice-protesters-placed-leave-n1043046
- ^ "Rhode Island ICE facility incident prompts AG investigation". Boston Herald. 2019-08-15. Retrieved 2019-08-15.
- ^ Ahlquist, Steve (2019-08-15). "Interview with Jackie, who was struck by the truck at the Wyatt protest and briefly hospitalized". Uprise RI. Retrieved 2019-11-13.
- ^ a b Ahlquist, Steve (2019-08-15). "Interview with Jackie, who was struck by the truck at the Wyatt protest and briefly hospitalized". Uprise RI. Retrieved 2019-11-13.
- ^ Ahlquist, Steve (2019-08-16). "A peaceful event: Never Again Providence protests the ICE contract with the Wyatt Detention Center". Uprise RI. Retrieved 2019-11-13.
- ^ a b Andrade, Kevin G. "State police, attorney general to investigate after pickup truck drives into Wyatt protesters". providencejournal.com. Retrieved 2019-11-13.