UPDATE: September 20, 2017
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The city of Providence has agreed to a settlement with a former bouncer for a now-closed nightclub who claims she was assaulted and pepper-sprayed by a police officer in 2012.
The City Council Claims Committee voted Tuesday to approve a $48,000 settlement with Kali Reis, according to committee Chairman Sam Zurier.
Reis, a professional boxer who was on the security details at Club Karma, filed a federal lawsuit against the city in 2015 accusing a police officer of using excessive force and claiming the department failed to properly train and supervise its employees.
In the suit, Reis claimed she was punched, pepper-sprayed and handcuffed by Officer Gregory Daniels, who has since retired from the department. She claimed the incident occurred after she attempted to provide first aid to a colleague, who was knocked unconscious during a fight in the club.
Reis was not charged with a crime. She claims she was released from police custody after apologizing to Daniels.
Club Karma was closed in 2014 after several unrelated incidents.
2015/10/15
Professional fighter and former club security guard was trying offer first aid when an officer threw her across the room.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Kali Reis was at work despite being injured.
Club Karma management had put the security officer on “light duty” in October 2012, owing to a leg brace that she was required to wear at all times.
An unruly fight
In the early hours of the morning, at around 2:40 AM a fight broke out between 15 to 20 people at the club.
Reis was placed at the rear door to make sure no one entered or left the premises, while other security staff tried to break up the fight.
Police also arrived at the scene.
Eventually, the brawl ended and staff began helping people out of the club.
It is then that Reis, who is also certified in first aid, noticed that one of her colleagues was lying out cold on the dance floor. She immediately went over to help.
Patrolman Gregory Daniels approached her from the back and yelled “give her some air”.
Although the cop asked Reis to step back, none of the police officers present came to help. In fact, the patrolman threw Reis across the dance floor.
The unprovoked attack
Reis then stood up and placed her hands in the air; despite this Daniels grabbed her arms and then struck her with a closed fist.
It is important to note that Reis is a Native American professional boxer – she put her hands up in a defensive position when the policeman attacked her.
It was as though Daniels’ was looking for a reason.
He then pepper sprayed her several times, pinned her to the ground and placed his entire weight on her while he was handcuffing her.
Reis says all of this was captured on surveillance footage, which was sequestered by the department’s internal affairs division.
A history of violence
Daniels has since retired. The department was all praise for his valuable services over his 27-year tenure. In fact, Police Chief Steven J. Wojnar even called him “level-headed”
However, his career history suggests otherwise; for him aggression was an ongoing issue. His use of the pepper spray had also caused some trouble in the past.
Reis alleges that the club’s surveillance footage from that night has been confiscated for this very reason.
In 2002 Daniels was dismissed for playing a key role in instigating a fight with another colleague.
He allegedly used his horse to shove Patrolman Rodrick Soares into a parked car. Then too, he used the pepper spray on his victim.
In 2006 he returned to the police force amidst city officials’ reservations that he was quite liberal in his use of racist slurs and regularly caused trouble, compelling some to suggest he had a “history of racism.”
Daniels had wiggled his way back after negotiating a settlement against the city.
Not only was he reinstated, but he also managed to receive $ 165,000 in compensation.
Forever scarred
Reis suffered significant damage after the incident. She constantly had flashbacks of being beaten and went through a prolonged period of post-traumatic stress disorder. Her emotional distress caused much agony for her.
Now she has decided it is time to seek damages.
She has filed a lawsuit against the officer, the department and the city.