A Philadelphia police officer is facing criminal assault charges for allegedly pepper spraying three protesters without provocation
Officer Richard Paul Nicoletti is charged with one count of possession of an instrument of crime and three counts each of simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, and official oppression all stemming from a June 1 Black Lives Matter protest, where a large number of demonstrators blocked traffic on the I-676.Nicoletti was one of the police officers to respond to the scene. CNN has attempted to reach Nicoletti for comment.
Video shared online prompted the Philadelphia Police Department Internal Affairs Division to open an investigation and refer information regarding Nicoletti's alleged use of force to the District Attorney's Office Special Investigations Unit on June 24, the DA's office said.In a statement, the president of the Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #5 criticized the district attorney's decision to charge the officer.
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