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A wedding in Newport, Rhode Island, took an ugly turn when drunk party members clashed with cops after being denied entry into a local bar. The Landing restaurant alerted authorities on Sunday, September 10, 2023, around 1:00 am after a person refused to leave and got violent with the employees.
According to the security staff, the upset man, later identified as David Onik, shoved a bouncer and later attempted to throw a punch at them.
Trigger Warning: This article contains references to a violent altercation. Reader discretion is advised.
When police arrived and attempted to speak to Onik, his wife Rachael inserted herself into the conversation, prompting a police officer to lead her away when she tripped on the cobblestone. By this time the cops were surrounded by multiple women.
Footage from the incident shows the officers trying to control those around them as another woman, Alexandra Flaherty, kicked one of them in the groin. As he restrained Flaherty, a man, Robert Nash, intervened, striking the cop in the face and drawing blood.
Officers then tried to handcuff Nash when Rachel tried to grab an officer's gun, who threw a punch, hitting her in the jaw. She briefly lost consciousness and needed medical attention. Members of the Newport wedding party seemed intoxicated.
Needless to say, the viral clip sparked a variety of reactions online. Several users noticed Rachael clearly attempting to grab a gun from the holster in the video.
"Strait to jail ba bye": Netizens react to Newport wedding brawl, criticize civilians
As news of the altercation between cops and the wedding party in Newport spread, internet users were quick to share their take on the incident. While many were critical of the drunk civilians, calling them out on their vile behavior, there were some who found the cops' actions too aggressive. Here are some comments seen on Instagram:
Following the altercation, Newport Police Department arrested five people, including David Onik, who was charged with disorderly conduct, and his wife Rachel, who was charged with two counts of simple assault, one count each of resisting arrest, obstructing an officer, and disorderly conduct.
Flaherty and Nash both were charged with assault of police officers, simple assault, resisting arrest, obstructing an officer, and disorderly conduct.
Newport PD also arrested a fifth person Olivia Costello under similar charges.
