A Republican candidate has been accused of punching his state Senate rival at an abortion protest in Providence.
It comes after the US Supreme Court overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v Wade decision that recognised a woman's constitutional right to an abortion and legalised it nationwide.
At a protest outside the Rhode Island State House on Friday (local time), a video posted on social media by podcaster Bill Bartholomew shows Providence police officer and Republican candidate Jeann Lugo punching his Democratic challenger Jennifer Rourke in the face.
The following morning, Rourke posted a five-second clip of the incident on Twitter showing a slowed-down version of the assault.
"I'm a reproductive rights organizer and state Senate candidate. Last night, after speaking at our Roe rally, my Republican opponent - a police officer - violently attacked me," she wrote on Twitter.
"This is what it is to be a Black woman running for office. I won't give up."
The Providence Police Department (PPD) confirmed Lugo was the officer in question in the video and was off duty at the time.
"The PPD is criminally investigating the behaviour of an off-duty officer last evening during a protest where a female was assaulted," the department said.
"The officer has served for three yrs and placed on administrative leave w/pay this morning, pending a criminal investigation and administrative review."
Lugo said he was "not going to deny" the punching allegation, but added that "everything happened very fast", according to the Providence Journal.
"As an officer that swore to protect and serve our communities, I, unfortunately, saw myself in a situation that no individual should see themselves in," he said in an email to the Boston Globe. "I stepped in to protect someone that a group of agitators was attacking."
Rourke said the incident occurred as she was trying to escort a counterprotester who had agreed to leave, according to The Associated Press.
As she was leading the man off the premises, she said, another physical altercation broke out, at which point she was punched in the face multiple times by Lugo.
Rourke received medical attention and a CT scan following the altercation and said she was doing ok but was experiencing a lot of tenderness in her face and ringing in her ears, according to CBS News.
Rourke said she has never interacted with Lugo before and did not know he would be at the protest.
Lugo has since dropped out of the Senate race, CBNC reported.
"I will not be running for any office this fall," he wrote on his Twitter account, before temporarily deactivating it.
