Providence police officers cleared in death of Warwick man in custody
PROVIDENCE — The state attorney general’s office has concluded that Providence police officers acted reasonably and that their actions did not contribute to the death of a 34-year-old Warwick man in their custody in May 2021.
Attorney General Peter F. Neronha’s office recently issued a 17-page report clearing five officers of responsibility in the death of Joseph L. Ventre Jr., who stopped breathing while in handcuffs early on May 7, 2021.
The report concludes that there was nothing in the body-camera footage, recorded witness statement, autopsy or documentation of the scene to suggest that any of the officers did anything improper.
What happened to Joseph Ventre?
Providence officers at the time responded to calls about a man in distress and possibly under the influence at a park on Collyer Street around 12:40 a.m. They found Ventre flailing, screaming and grunting in scenes captured by body-worn cameras.
The footage showed Ventre loudly groaning and calling out as he tossed and turned on the ground while officers approached and asked him what drug he had taken. The officers urged him to relax and told him rescue was on the way as he rolled, kicked and grabbed a fence.
More:Investigation under way into death of man who was handcuffed by Providence police
The police attempted to place handcuffs on Ventre after rescue crews arrived “for the safety of rescue personnel, police officers and Ventre,” the report said. All five officers helped lift the 246-pound Ventre onto a stretcher.
Rescue workers realized Ventre wasn’t breathing and had no pulse after he was placed in the ambulance, at which time an officer removed the handcuffs and rescue crews began administering CPR and epinephrine, the report said. He was brought to Rhode Island Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 1:41 a.m.
State's report finds officers only used the force necessary
According to the report, Assistant State Medical Examiner Patricia Ogera determined that Ventre died “as a result of the toxic effects of methamphetamine and methadone in the setting of police restraint with obesity considered contributory.” Ogera diagnosed Ventre with acute methamphetamine and methadone intoxication, with methamphetamine reaching lethal levels and methadone in the therapeutic range. The manner of death was listed as “undetermined.”
The investigation by state prosecutors, in conjunction with Rhode Island State Police and the Providence Police Department, found that the officers only used the force necessary to restrain Ventre to ensure his own safety and that of those around him. They did not strike, deploy Tasers, use pepper spray or other physical force in the incident, according to the report.
More:RI medical examiner: Man handcuffed by Providence police died due to 'toxic' drug effects
“The restraint of Mr. Ventre by officers was necessary to get him into the rescue, and to ensure his own safety and the safety of those around him,” the report said. “It lasted only as long as necessary to get him safely in the ambulance. Once Mr. Ventre’s level of resistance de-escalated, so too did the officers’ use of any force. Medical treatment was then immediately initiated.”
The Providence officers involved included James Lewis, Daniel Gonzalez, Carly Cabral, David Iamorone and Dayshantell Ramirez.
Steven Brown, executive director of the state affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union, declined to comment on the report, other than to give officers a shout out for switching on their body cams.
"It was a positive development to see that all the officers apparently properly deployed their body cameras. In just about every previous high-profile use of force investigation I can recall, that has not been the case," Brown said in an email.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Providence police cleared after Joseph Ventre died in custody
