Officer Suspended For Off-Duty Actions At Abortion Protest

A state Senate candidate said she was punched in the face at least twice by the off-duty officer.

A Rhode Island police officer accused of punching a woman at an abortion protest while he was off-duty was suspended from his job with pay Saturday while the Providence Police Department conducts a criminal investigation into his actions.

Jennifer Rourke, Rhode Island Political Cooperative Chairwoman and a state Senate candidate, told the Providence Journal she was punched in the face at least twice by Jeann Lugo, who had been running for the GOP nomination for a Rhode Island state senate seat.

Lugo told the Journal he was "not going to deny" the punching allegation, but added that "everything happened very fast."