Beer bottle toss results in charges for city man

WOONSOCKET — When Randall G. Burke allegedly threw a beer bottle outside the Back Alley Pub, the errant projectile landed closer to a police officer than the person he was apparently aiming for, but that was just the beginning of his problems.

After police took him to headquarters for disorderly conduct, they conducted a routine inventory of his belongings, at which point they allegedly discovered small amounts of marijuana and cocaine, according to reports.

Now, Burke, 26, of 545 Providence St., is facing an additional criminal charge, including possession of a controlled substance, a felony. Police also charged him with non-criminal possession of under an ounce of marijuana.

Police said Burke was charged with possession of cocaine after the discovered powder residue of the drug on a folded twenty-dollar bill in his pocket. The cocaine weighed four hundredths of an ounce, or .040 ounces, according to a police report.

Burke’s troubles began when he got into an argument with another patron of the Diamond Hill Road lounge about 1:40 a.m. Saturday. Police say he threw a bottle at the other person.

“The beer bottle missed the intended target and hit a wall near where I was standing,” said Detective Lt. Christopher Brooks, who was working a uniformed security detail at the establishment.