5 arraigned following altercation involving Newport police

Five of the six people arrested during an altercation involving Newport police and a group attending a wedding outside The Landing restaurant were arraigned Wednesday.

According to court records, Rachael Onik, Robert Nash and Alexandra Flaherty were each released on $5,000 bond. Olivia Costello and David Onik were each released on $1,000 bond.

Both Nash and Flaherty face a felony charge of assaulting a police officer and misdemeanor charges of simple assault and battery, resisting arrest, obstructing an officer and disorderly conduct. No pleas were entered on their charges as felony counts are moved to Superior Court.

David Onik faces a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct. Rachael Onik was arrested on misdemeanor charges of resisting arrest and two counts of simple assault and battery.

Costello faces misdemeanor charges of simple assault and battery, resisting arrest, obstructing and officer and disorderly conduct.

All three pleaded not guilty to the charges.

What happened

According to an incident report released by Newport police, the altercation early Sunday morning started after Officers Jaisen Cole and Alex White were dispatched to The Landing restaurant in Bowen’s Wharf because the restaurant reported someone was refusing to leave after being denied entry. There, a bar manager informed the officers that 44-year-old David Onik of Barrington had become upset when the restaurant denied him and his family entry. The bar manager claimed Onik shoved them with two fingers and attempted to punch a security staff member while he was being restrained.

While the officers were collecting information from the restaurant staff, Onik allegedly began yelling at the staff and was detained. Later, as Sgt. Stephen Carrig was speaking with Onik, his wife, 41-year-old Rachel Onik, allegedly began interjecting herself into the incident by refusing to back away and trying to speak with her husband. According to the police narratives, Rachel Onik tripped and fell while officers were trying to move her away from the situation, causing other family members to crowd around the officers. Physical altercations broke out between several members of the family and police, causing Carrig to strike Flaherty, who allegedly kicked Carrig in the groin, “in the face with an open hand slap, again to create distance.”

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Then, 30-year-old Robert Nash allegedly began punching Carrig in the face, leaving him with a broken nose. As Cole and White attempted to remove Nash from Carrig and place him in handcuffs, Cole’s narrative states he felt someone attempting to reach for his firearm which caused him to turn and punch Rachel Onik in the jaw, causing her to collapse to the ground unconscious. The Newport Fire Department was dispatched to help Rachel with her injuries and she was later transported to Newport Hospital, discharged and placed under arrest.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Newport police altercation following wedding leads to arraignments