Police Quell Verbal Fireworks With Arrests

An East Providence couple engaged in some verbal fireworks on July 4 allegedly wouldn’t let the police into their house. They ended up being charged with disorderly conduct and obstructing police officers. 

East Providence police were called to 17 Arlington St. at 11 am on the Fourth of July by a neighbor who thought a domestic situation warranted police intervention. 

Juanito P. Avant, 25, and his girlfriend, Brianna Martin, 22, reportedly were yelling and screaming at each other when the officers arrived. They did not allow the police to enter the house, repeatedly saying they had no right to be there, according to the police report.

The patrol officers suspected the possibility of a physical confrontation and would not take no for an answer. One officer was forced to climb a ladder to a second-floor window to demand that Avant open the front door.

Avant finally let police officers into the house, where they were met with a “verbally aggressive” couple that refused to cooperate with the police officers, according to the arrest report.

The officers reportedly tried at least four times to get the couple to calm down so they could determine if there was an assault of some type. They never did determine if there was a physical confrontation, according to the arrest report.

They did charge both of them with disorderly conduct and interfering with police officers in the performance of their duties.