Heated Exchange: Video Shows Providence Police Chief and Man Arguing — Other Driver Arrested

Heated Exchange: Video Shows Providence Police Chief and Man Arguing — Other Driver Arrested

A man was arrested on Friday after a motor vehicle accident involving Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez.

A video of the aftermath of the incident on Broadway was shared on social media; Perez is seen in an extended interaction with the suspect before ultimately apprehending him. 

GoLocal reached out to Perez for comment. 

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“I was heading back to the police station, and I got rear-ended,” said Perez, who said he was “fine” following the accident.

“It was right at Broadway and De Pasquale [at] the crosswalk. I was trying to allow someone who was coming out of the coffee shop that’s right there across; I stopped and got rear-ended,” said Perez.

 

Interaction With Suspect

Perez described what he said transpired immediately afterward in the video, which shows the two men having a heated discussion. 

“As you can see, he’s very intense in his manners. I’m trying to professionally de-escalate - that’s what you see me doing,” said Perez. 

Perez, who said there was “no touching,” explained his decision to apprehend the individual.

“[It was] his actions, his words, his threats,” said Perez. 

Additional backup can be seen arriving quickly on the scene with additional officers assisting Perez. 

“You’re going to read the police report, [it’s] going to explain what the interaction was about,” said Perez, who said the charges would be released shortly.

Providence Police did not provide the police report at the time of publication.