PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WHDH) - The Providence, Rhode Island Police Union has denied accusations that they racially profiled a local firefighter while outside his fire station last week.
Terrell Paci said he was in full uniform, sitting in a car outside the station with a friend who was dropping off food, when two officers approached with guns drawn, shouting at him.
“I was pledging I’m a firefighter. I’m one of you. Don’t shoot,” Paci said. “The officer on the driver’s side started screaming ‘Wheres the gun, is there a gun’ and I was like I’m a firefighter. I’m PFD I’m one of you. I’m a firefighter.”
The Providence Police Union disputed his claims and said officers were in the area investigating a possible armed robbery when a witness identified the car Paci was sitting in.
The union said the officers put their guns away as soon as they learned he was a firefighter.
In a statement, union officials said in part:
“The Officers involved conducted themselves in a professional manner. To have someone embellish what took place to grab a headline, especially in a time of turmoil, is the exact toxic nature of which we all are trying to move away from.
It is sad and disgusting that a Providence firefighter would distort the truth about our police officers, and that his opportunistic union president would recklessly publicize these mistruths in an environment when police are under attack.”
The firefighter’s union took to Facebook following the incident writing in part:
“This situation makes clear that even in uniform – a young black man is not immune from the impact of systemic, institutional racism.
While we value our working relationship with the Providence Police, and know there are many officers who are working to change police culture, this incident proves that there is more work to be done.”
Paci said the officers searched the passenger side of the vehicle where he was sitting despite the fact that he was in uniform with a radio in hand.
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