BLM RI PAC is calling on Attorney General Peter Neronha to immediately release the body camera video of officers Domingo Diaz and Mitchel Voyer following yet another use of excessive force that left a minor on a stretcher perceived dead by multiple community members who were present. The community and the State of Rhode Island has the right to know what happened on the night of July 9th. 

The actions of the police officers have been described by Mayor Elorza as “appalling”, implying severe misconduct on part of the officers. We demand that the body camera footage be released to the family and the public. 

Attorney General Peter Neronha earlier this month said,  body cameras are an important tool for restoring trust between the community of Providence and the police department: 

“For over two decades, every criminal case I have evaluated for potential prosecution as a state or federal prosecutor has come down to two critical questions: ‘What happened, and how do I prove what happened?’ If we cannot answer those questions, justice remains elusive, for everyone. Body-worn cameras thus can be a powerful tool in our efforts to deliver justice. They show us what happened. They promote accountability for police. They provide compelling evidence where prosecution of a member of the public is warranted. They build community trust. We’ll get better results – results in which the public can have confidence – when we can evaluate every police/community encounter from a place of objective knowledge. The statewide body-worn camera program we announce today gives us an opportunity to do just that.” 

How can we restore trust if the process does not have transparency? How can you restore trust when the community knows that the police are constantly behaving “unprofessionally” and their actions are described as “appealing”? Accountability requires transparency. The actions of Officers Diaz and Voyer resulted in bodily injury to a child. We demand to know what happened. NOW. 

Join BLM RI PAC alongside elected officials throughout the state, demanding the immediate release of the body camera footage of Providence Police Officers Domingo Diaz and Mitchel Voyer relating to July 9th, where a fifteen year old sustained bodily injury due to the officers “appalling” actions.