Aspiring male GOP senator from Rhode Island ‘SLAPS’ female rival during Roe v. Wade protest

A pro-choice advocate and Rhode Island Senate candidate has accused her rival of slapping her during a Roe v. Wade protest.

Video shared on Twitter shows the shocking moment Republican cop Jeann Lugo allegedly struck Rhode Island Political Cooperative Chairwoman Jennifer Rourke in the face twice on Friday night.

Rourke, a Democrat, claims Lugo ‘violently attacked’ her after she spoke out at a Roe v. Wade rally in Providence. Lugo was off-duty at the time of the alleged incident.

‘This is what it is to be a black woman running for office. I won’t give up,’ she wrote. 

An off-duty officer’s behavior at the rally is under investigation, Providence police have confirmed. The department said the officer was placed on paid administrated Saturday morning pending a criminal investigation and administrative review. 

Police did not disclose the name of the arrested officer but said the individual has served with the department for three years. Lugo joined the force in 2019, according to the department’s 69th training academy commencement booklet.

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Rhode Island Political Cooperative Chairwoman Jennifer Rourke has accused her opponent in the state Senate District 29 race, Providence cop Jeann Lugo, of punching her twice during a protest outside the statehouse Friday night

Hundreds of protesters assembled outside the Rhode Island Statehouse in Providence Friday in wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion in the U.S.

While much of the protest took place without incident, local news outlets allege conflict ensued after a group of counter-protesters entered the area.

Rourke claimed her challenger in the state Senate District 29 race, which is Lugo, punched her in the face at least twice once chaos broke out. She reportedly filed a police report and is looking to press charges.

The off-duty cop did not deny the assault allegation but did claim Rourke had become physical with him. She denied Lugo’s accusation.

‘I’m not going to deny,’ Lugo told The Providence Journal on Saturday. ‘It was very chaotic, so I can’t really tell you right now. Everything happened very fast.’

‘To me, this feels like an act of political violence similar to the acts of violence that we have seen across the U.S.,’ Rourke hit back. ‘I’m a black woman running for office. There was no need, no need for any of this. I’m not going to give up.’

Neither Rourke nor Lugo immediately responded to DailyMail.com’s request for comment. 

The alleged assault came amid a night of chaos-filled protests across the nation.