Warwick Police Officer Charged After Kicking Suspect In The Head: AG

WARWICK, RI — A Warwick police officer is facing a charge after assaulting a man during a domestic disturbance investigation, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said Thursday.

On Thursday, Sgt. Britton Kelly was charged by the Warwick Police Department with simple assault. Kelly was arraigned and released on $1,000 personal recognizance, prosecutors said. A Third Division Court judge also issued a no-contact order with the victim.

Prosecutors said the charge stemmed from a domestic disturbance on Amsterdam Avenue in Warwick. Police arrested a woman for her role in the domestic incident, according to prosecutors.

During her arrest, prosecutors said, the woman's husband, Ryan York, intervened and attempted to pull one of the officers away from her. The officers then arrested York and placed him in the back of a police vehicle.

A short time later, Kelly proceeded to the back of the police cruiser, where York was handcuffed and restrained in his seatbelt. Prosecutors accused Kelly of kicking York in the head and striking him in the face before forcibly removing him from the cruiser.

The Warwick Police Department reported the incident to the Rhode Island Attorney General's Office, and the matter was jointly investigated by the Warwick Police Department and Neronha pursuant to state protocol.

Kelly is scheduled for a pre-trial conference on Aug. 10 in Third Division District Court in Providence.

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