Video: The Worcester police knew that 'unknown liquid' was sprayed during ice arrest was water

The police of Worcester accused a woman who arrested her with a dangerous weapon during a chaotic demonstration after an immigration and customs authority with assault and battery after saying that she sprayed her with an “unknown liquid”.

However, the Body Camera video published by the department shows that they already knew that it was only water.

On May 8, the candidate of the Worcester School Committee Ashley R. Spring was arrested by police officers from Worcester in the Eureka Street, while officials from the US immigration and customs authority (ICE) arrested a 40-year-old Brazilian mother of three in the same place.

It was charged on May 9 for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon – the “unknown liquid” – together with charges for assault and battery for a police officer, disordered behaviors and interventions in the police officers.

Lt. Sean Murtha from the WPD announced Masslive on Saturday that he was not aware that the department dropped one of the charges of spring, although the police said the liquid was water in the video.

The street had broken out in chaos this morning when more than 30 people, including spring, screamed, screamed and asked to see an arrest against the arrest of Rosane Ferreira-de Oliveira.

The Worcester police officers were also at the scene and arrested spring together with the daughter of Ferreira-de Oliveira.

After the public, the officials of Worcester released the film material of the body camera from the incident, including a rally, in which the officials accused the officials of supporting ice cream in the arrest of Ferreira-de Oliveira.

In addition to the publication of the film material and the 911 call from this day, the city administrator Eric Batista gave an order to determine “guidelines for local reaction and participation in the enforcement of federal immigration laws and operations of the federal government, including investigations and civil law containers carried out by ICE officers” according to Batista's office.

Police officers saw the spring thrust and pushed other officials who tried to arrest the daughter, according to a police report.

“The officials also observed how Ashley showed an unknown liquid in a bottle directly on officers and sprayed to lead their jobs,” the report said.

But the officer Juan Vallejo, who was the one who said he was sprayed, said in the video that it was only water.

“She sprayed me in the face with water”

Vallejo was present in the Eureka Street and was involved in the arrest of Ferreira-de Oliveira's daughter.

On May 16, the film material and audio from the body camera of Vallejo and other officials who surrounded the daughter and moved to the ground was made available to the public.

The film material and the audio of two other officers, officer Patrik Hanlon and Officer Shauna McGuirk, were published on Friday and uploaded to the city's YouTube page.

During the arrest, an official screams: “They are because of disorderly behavior and disturb peace.”

After the daughter's arrest, Vallejo draws his attention to spring that stands behind him and is tied up with handcuffs by another officer.

On the 2:30 mark in the video, Vallejo approaches spring and indicates her finger and lists the indictment for another officer: “Invisory, disturbance and she sprayed me in the face with water.”

When he moves away from her, the audio catches spring and says: “It was water.”

The film material from Vallejo and McGuirk, which were also seen, as they arrested the daughter, did not show the spring approach to the officers.

The failure of the arrest

Judge Janet McGuiggan entered a non -guilty plea on behalf of the spring. Spring was released for her personal recognition and is expected to return to court on June 23.

After the arrest, spring appeared on May 13 in a protest in front of the town hall and asked the actions of ICE, the Worcester Police Department (WPD) and the city's political leaders.

She criticized that the town hall was closed to the public that night, on the same night in which the demonstrators took part in the city council meeting before it was converted to a virtual format.

“Although they are afraid, we are not afraid,” said Spring about Worcester leader.

The city council meeting changed the formats after the rally was announced. The mayor of Worcester, Joseph Petty, said the city officials received “threats to violence”.

The mother's daughter was charged with ruthless threat to a child who disturbed peace, disordered behavior and resistance to the arrest, according to the WPD.

After her arrest, she was released from custody and currently lives together with her 21-year-old sister Augusta Clara Moura, Clara Moura's 3 month old son and her other sister, who is also a minor.

In a statement on May 16, the police chief of Worcester, Paul Saucier, announced that the WPD rejected the court's daughter against Ferreira-de Oliveira's daughter.

Although the department wants to dismiss the case against the daughter, Saucier found that “it is important to emphasize that the attacks or interference of law enforcement officers is never acceptable when fulfilling their duties.”

The city administrator Eric Batista also announced an executive order on Friday about how the WPD reacts to federal arrears.

“The enforcement of immigration laws is the responsibility of the federal government, not the community, and as such, the municipal resources must not be used for this end,” said a city declaration.

With regard to Ferreira-de Oliveira, she is currently arrested in the Wyatt detection Center in Central Falls, RI, according to the online prisoner-lokator system (ODLS) by ICE.