Man charged following incident at council meeting
NEWPORT, R.I. (WJAR) — A man facessimple assault and disorderly conduct charges and a candidate for United States Senate is asking questions, following a Newport City Council session on offshore wind.
The man, identified byspectators at the meeting as David Booth, a field coordinator for Climate Jobs RI, is seen grabbingcollected turbine debris straight from the hands of ConstanceGee, a Member of Green Oceans, Westport, who rose to speak.
The man is later seen tossing out the bag of damaged fiberglass. Gee said she wanted to show people what had been washing up on shore from what’s believed to be the damaged turbine blade OFF Nantucket, adding she felt shaken and intimidated by what happened at the meeting.
State Representative Patricia Morgan (R-District 26) complained about a picture on the campaign website of US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), who she is challenging in the election. Morgan saidthe assailant was prominently displayed on Sheldon Whitehouse’s online presence, further stating Whitehouse should have condemned the man’s behavior.
NBC 10 News hasreached out to the commissioner on the panel and the moderator, but neither has been willing to comment on the incident.