VIDEO: Man Throws U.S. and Cape Verdean Flags on the Ground
GoLocalProv News Team
VIDEO: Man Throws U.S. and Cape Verdean Flags on the Ground
At approximately 12:00 PM, while a ceremony was taking place inside City Hall, Marsden approached City Hall on a moped. Marsden then walked up to three flags that were positioned at the City Hall entrance and proceeded to throw both the American flag and the Cape Verdean flag to the ground.
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Video shows Marsden stomping on the Cape Verdean flag. SEE VIDEO ABOVE
East Providence Officers apprehend the suspect on his moped a short distance away from City Hall.
During the arrest, Marsden was found to be in possession of a 6-inch knife as well as a large Nazi flag.
Marsden is currently being charged with:
- Vandalism
- Disorderly Conduct
- Weapons other than Firearms Prohibited (knife)
The East Providence Police Department's Prosecution Division is currently working with the Rhode Island Attorney General's Office to determine if additional hate crime enhancements will be pursued in this case. Marsden will be arraigned at Sixth District Court on Thursday morning.
“The City of East Providence takes great pride in being a diverse, inclusive and welcoming community for all,” Mayor Bob DaSilva said. “There is no room in this city for acts of hatred and vandalism. Our administration condemns all hateful acts and will continue to make it abundantly clear that East Providence is an inclusive community where hate is neither welcome nor tolerated.”
Acting Police Chief Michael Rapoza said, “Our agency takes these acts of vandalism seriously and will pursue hate crime enhancements when warranted. I’d like to thank the ceremony attendees for alerting the police and our officers who responded quickly and apprehended the suspect. There is no place for this type of behavior in our city.”