5 of 6 people charged in physical altercation with Newport police appear in court
NEWPORT, R.I. (WLNE) — Five of the six people facing charges related to a physical altercation with Newport police appeared in Newport District Court on Wednesday.
Newport police and the attorney general’s office are investigating an incident caught on body-worn camera footage that shows a group of people surrounding officers outside a wedding party at The Landing restaurant. The incident happened shortly after midnight on Saturday.
Two of the suspects, Robert Nash and Alexandra Flaherty, face five felony charges. Rachel Onik faces five misdemeanor charges. Her husband, David Onik, has been charged with a single count of disorderly conduct, and Olivia Costello faces four misdemeanor charges.
The bodycam video blurs out the faces of those involved in the incident.
The confrontation began when one of the people involved was not allowed back into the restaurant after allegedly pushing staff. Police were called when he refused to leave.
A group started to form between him and the responding officer, who ultimately called for backup.
The incident then turned physical, and the group and the officers were seen pushing each other before it escalated to punches.
Later on in the video, as the crowd got larger, two officers claimed one of the people reached for their guns. That’s when one of the officers throws a woman to the ground, seeming to knock her unconscious.
All six were taken into custody after an extensive struggle. The majority are charged with simple assault and battery, resisting arrest, and obstruction of an officer.
The sixth person involved, Kylie Swain, has a court date set for later this month.
