Above: Shut down Wyatt from the FANG Collective
Captain Thomas Woodworth has resigned from his position at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility — after driving his pick-up truck into protesters outside the facility this week.
The incident, which occurred on August 14, remains under active investigation by the Rhode Island State Police and under internal investigation by the Wyatt.
As GoLocal reported following the incident:
A vigil at the Wyatt Detention Center turned into a chaotic scene when a pickup truck came close to hitting protesters.
That sparked a conflict between protestors and guards and Central Falls Police.
Pepper spray was deployed — there are reports of multiple injuries.
“I also want to make very clear that literally dozens of us from tonight’s protest asked, clamored, demanded that the police take witness statements about the attack, and they actively refused to do so. I cannot understand how Captain Woodworth was not arrested on the spot,” said former State Representative Aaron Regunberg in a Facebook post.
“Worse, he is returning to his job – someone who was willing to drive his truck into a crowd of peaceful protesters in front of dozens of cameras. What kind of violence is someone like that willing to regularly unleash on powerless detainees, inside a prison where there are no cameras and no accountability?” said Regunberg.
The protect was organized by Never Again Action.
Last month, Jews, immigrants, and allies shut down the Wyatt because when we say never again, we mean it. This month, we’re returning to the Wyatt detention center around the Jewish holiday of Tisha B’av which commemorates the destruction of the Temple. We invite people of conscience of all faiths to join us on August 14th to say Never Again Is Now.
As Jews, we’ve been taught to never let anything like the Holocaust happen again. This crisis isn’t happening just at the border. It’s happening in our communities all around the country. Here in Rhode Island, the Wyatt upholds this country’s detention and deportation machine. We need anyone and everyone to throw themselves into the gears of the system. We need our politicians to take drastic action to shut down ICE immediately and ensure safety for people fleeing to the United States. Until they do, we’re going to make it impossible for ICE to do business as usual. We refuse to wait and see what happens next.
#JewsAgainstICE across the US are taking the streets to publicly protest ICE and to remind the world that Never Again means Never Again for Anyone. Will you join us?
#NeverAgainMeans abolish ICE.
#NeverAgainMeans close the camps.
#NeverAgainMeans never again for anyone.