Officer suspended for off-duty actions at abortion protest

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A Rhode Island police officer has been suspended from his job with pay while the Providence Police Department conducts a criminal investigation into his actions at a Statehouse abortion protest where a woman was assaulted. Providence police did not identify the officer, but local media identified him as Jeann Lugo, who had been running for the Rhode Island state Senate. Rhode Island Political Cooperative Chairwoman and state Senate candidate Jennifer Rourke said she was punched in the face at least twice by Lugo. Lugo tweeted Saturday that he would not be running for office this fall. Lugo told the Boston Globe that he “stepped in to protect someone that a group of agitators was attacking.”