Rhode Island Teacher Accused of Assaulting Police Officers

(Providence, Rhode Island) A 49-year-old local teacher, Jane E. O'Connell, has been accused of several charges after allegedly getting drunk and assaulting two police officers at a restaurant.

O'Connell faces charges of simple assault, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and obstructing an officer in execution of duty.

O'Connell, whom the police said smelled of alcohol, confronted Patrol Officer J. Dylan Navakauskas as he tried to aid the friend; becoming belligerent, yelling obscenities at the officers, yelling: "My brother's a [expletive] Sheriff. You're so [expletive.]"[…]

The Providence school department said that while "the incident in no way involved or impacted students, all who work in our schools and district must be held to a high standard as trusted adults in our students' lives. To this end, the teacher has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation and hearing."

O'Connell was booked and released on $5,000 bond.