City man arrested on charges of assaulting several police officers

WOONSOCKET — A city man was released on personal recognizance Tuesday after he was arraigned on charges that included possession of narcotics and three counts of assaulting police officers.

Allen Daigle, 61, of 100 Front St., Apt. 901, was arrested on Columbus Day after police responded to a report of a “possibly intoxicated” man outside the Family Dollar located at 401 Clinton St.

A few minutes after 8 p.m., police said, they saw Daigle getting into a parked vehicle and tried talking to him. A police report says it was apparent that “his thoughts were erratic” and he had “a difficult time controlling his fine motor skills.”

Despite his condition, Daigle seemed polite and cooperative – until, that is, they informed him they didn’t think it was a good idea for him to drive. At that point, they said, his demeanor changed markedly.

Daigle allegedly became aggressive and insisted on exiting his vehicle, ignoring repeated commands to remain inside. At one point, Daigle assumed “a fighting stance” and engaged officers in a violent struggle when they attempted to place him under arrest.

During the melee, he allegedly “mule-kicked” one officer in the leg. He continued struggling as they put him in a cruiser, which was slightly damaged in the process. Officers continued wrestling with Daigle after he was transported to the police station, resulting in complaints of assault from two other officers.

During a search, police found a small amount of marijuana in Daigle’s vehicle and six doses of the pharmaceutical opioid Percocet in his pockets. Despite Daigle’s claim that a doctor had prescribed the drugs, police charged him with possession of a controlled substance.

In addition, Daigle was charged with disorderly conduct and cited for possession of less than an ounce of marijuana – a non-criminal offense that is adjudicated at the Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal.

During an arraignment in Sixth District Court on Tuesday, Judge Terence Houlihan released Daigle on $3,000 personal recognizance pending another hearing on Feb. 5.