Providence Police Officers Cleared Of Racial Profiling After Incident With Firefighter
PROVIDENCE, RI (CBS) - The Public Safety Commissioner in Providence, Rhode Island released the findings of an internal review surrounding an incident involving a black firefighter and two police officers. The incident was being investigated as a case of possible racial profiling.
In newly released body cam footage, you can see two Providence Police officers approach a car in which 23-year-old Terrell Paci was a passenger. The officers, with their guns drawn, order Paci and the driver to open the door, before Paci identifies himself as a firefighter.
The incident first made headlines back in June 5th during a protest, where Paci described the encounter during a live TV interview on WPRI.
An internal investigation was launched and investigators determined that there was no evidence of racial profiling. Commissioner Steven Paré, who oversees both the police and fire departments, said Paci was in the wrong place at the wrong time after a report of an armed robbery in the area.
While no evidence of profiling was found, Commissioner Paré said the incident should have been handled differently and that, "better discretion" should have been used. He also implied officers need better training. One of the officers will be disciplined for failing to activate his body camera during the incident.
After the findings of the investigation were released, Paci said he felt vindicated after so many people didn't believe his account, including the police union which initially said Paci was trying to grab headlines. "I heard a lot of support from our Commissioner and he was saying that everything the video released was true," Paci said.
As far as this being a case of racial profiling, Paci won't go that far, but feels the situation escalated needlessly. "I'm not gonna point and say it's racial profiling, but why did you ask me to search? [The vehicle] What was the reasoning behind it?" Paci said.
He now wants to work with the police department to make sure someone doesn't feel as traumatized as he does, after seeing the officers draw their guns. "I think the first step is going to be trying to heal myself, and then once I start healing myself I want to start healing Providence and become united," Paci said. But first, he wants an apology from the police officers.
In response to the results of the investigation, the police union issued a lengthy statement saying the officers acted appropriately and courteously. It goes on to say, "While we understand how having a firearm pointed at you could be traumatizing to the Firefighter, the method in which this was conveyed and portrayed in the public against our Officers, and distorted and embellished ... is what we take issue with."
