Providence Officer Given 2-Day Suspension For Oct. Scooter Crash

PROVIDENCE, RI — The Providence police officer involved in a crash with an ATV that left a man seriously injured in October will face administrative consequences, the department announced Friday morning. Officer Kyle Endres was issued two single-day suspensions for violations of administrative policy.

According to Public Safety Commissioner Steven Pare, Endres violated two of the department's administrative policies by not wearing a seatbelt and failing to "operate his cruiser in a safe manner." He will also be required to undergo emergency vehicle operation training to help rpevent future crashes, Pare said.

"Discipline is about changing future behavior, not about embarrassing police or anything else," Pare said. "No two cases are the same ... we try to be consistent … to treat everyone fairly."

Several other police officers that responded to the crash were cited for not activating their body cameras at the crash site, and will receive vocal counseling as a result. Other officers "will be held accountable" for their use of force when addressing a bystander, Pare said, though those actions cannot be discussed while they are still pending.

The announcement came just one day after Rhode Island Attorney General said Endres would not face any criminal charges in connection with the Oct. 18 crash. While he may have been negligent or reckless in his actions was not his place to determine, Neronha said, rather whether his conduct rose to the level of criminal conduct.

The investigation centered around Oct. 18, when 24-year-old Jhamal Gonsalves was seriously injured in a crash that involved Endres' police cruiser. The Attorney General-led investigation determined that the cruiser did not directly hit the scooter, instead it hit a stop sign that then fell forward and hit the back of Gonsalves' helmet. He remains in the hospital.

Providence Police Col. Hugh Clements, after offering his thoughts to the family of Gonsalves, said it was really important for the department, along with the AG and state police, to fully investigate the incident.

"Nothing will change this crash outcome, however it was important to pore over the facts surrounding it," he said.

Body camera footage from the scene showed Endres pulling on Gonsalves' arm after he ran out of his cruiser. The department consulted with medical experts and Endres and determined that he was trying to get him away from the scooter, which was still running, Pare said.

"I believe, in my professional opinion, that he tried to pull him away from that moped," Pare said.

Another major question from the footage involved another officer, who administered Naloxone to Gonsalves as he lay unconscious on the sidewalk. According to Pare, the officer "fumbled a bit" and "wasn't familiar" with the newly issued dispenser, and will undergo retraining along with the rest of the department.

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