The Providence Journal
WARWICK In a secure area of the Cranston Police Department, Officer Andrew Leonard noticed something about a prisoner:
The young man s nostrils were flaring.
The man, Gian Mattiello, had quickly turned toward Leonard as another officer tried to remove a tie from Mattiello s long hair. Then, Mattiello had moved his forearm in a way that broke Leonard s grip on his right arm.
This was the testimony that Leonard gave Wednesday in District Court, where he is on trial, accused of assaulting Mattiello in an excessive use of force in March of 2020.
Leonard took the stand after prosecutors rested their case. His appearance followed testimony from Mattiello, who accused the officer of ambushing him. And it trailed testimony from a Cranston police captain who said he was troubled by surveillance video of what had transpired in the booking area where Leonard s presence wasn t even necessary in the first place.
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Attorney General Peter F. Neronha has established a Civil Rights Team made up of criminal and civil attorneys to bring a coordinated and focused approach to the investigation and prosecution of hate crimes and police misconduct – whether pursued criminally or civilly. Comprised of the Civil Rights Advocate in the Civil Division and a new Civil Rights Prosecution Unit in the Criminal Division, the expanded team ensures that civil rights matters are addressed with the level of scrutiny and professionalism that all communities in the State deserve.
“While increasing and expanding civil rights work has been one of my top priorities, our goal is to build and embed an approach that lives well beyond my administration,” said Attorney General Neronha. “We adopted this new structure after reviewing similar models in other states for best practices and engaging in many conversations with advocates, community organizations and elected officials.