A Rhode Island private prison correctional officer has stepped down from his post after driving a truck into a crowd of protesters and injuring several people on Wednesday night.
Wyatt Detention Facility in Central Falls announced in a statement to WJAR-TV that Capt. Thomas Woodworth resigned on Friday following the incident, which is still “under active investigation by the Rhode Island State Police and under internal investigation by the Wyatt.”
The Providence Journal reported that Woodworth has been placed on administrative leave.
Footage of the scene went viral on social media Wednesday night, and Jewish advocacy group Never Again Action, which has spoken out against the Trump administration’s immigration laws, livestreamed the incident and uploaded video clips to Twitter. The organization alleged that a guard at the detention center was the driver of the vehicle.
That night, a group of protesters with Never Again Action blocked access to the parking lot of the detention facility, which coordinates with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to round up immigrants who have crossed the U.S. border illegally. The group purposely barricaded the parking lot so that guards could not leave or arrive for the night shift.
The footage appears to show a black truck honking at the group of protesters before plowing into the crowd as people screamed. Four activists were hospitalized and other protesters were pepper-sprayed by corrections officers who came to quell the incident, according to a statement by Never Again Action.
Oh my god. An ICE Detention Center guard just drove their truck straight through a line of us sitting peacefully to block the parking lot. There don’t appear to be major injuries, still assessing the situation, police are moving in *on us* now ?
LIVE: https://t.co/ArMwLw2e87 pic.twitter.com/qUJXIP4xwa
— ✡️ Never Again Action ✡️ (@NeverAgainActn) August 15, 2019
The advocacy group said it was relieved to know that Woodworth had stepped down but demanded that criminal charges be pressed against the officer and called for other guards who were involved to be held accountable.
“If these officers felt empowered to attack a group of protesters in front of the public and the media, imagine what kind of violence must be taking place inside the prison, out of sight, against vulnerable immigrants and people of color,” the group said.
The Rhode Island attorney general’s office on Thursday issued a statement that it is cooperating with state authorities to probe the incident.
“Once we have a full understanding of the relevant facts, we will determine how to proceed,” the statement said. “Peaceful protest is a fundamental right of all Americans; it is unfortunate last night’s situation unfolded as it did. We urge all to exercise restraint as our investigation proceeds.”
