LINCOLN – A man who was acquitted more than a decade ago following a high-profile assault case in which an off-duty state police trooper was nearly killed was back in the news this week following an incident at Twin River.
James Proulx, 49, of North Smithfield was arrested on Saturday, Feb. 1 and charged with simple assault and disorderly conduct.
Proulx was the only person arrested in the incident, which took place at the Lincoln casino around 11:15 p.m.
A former corrections officer, Proulx was accused of punching off-duty state trooper Brendan Doyle in 2007. Doyle, who reportedly was trying to stop Proulx from driving recklessly, hit his head on the pavement in the attack and nearly died.
Proulx told a jury he was acting in self-defense and was acquitted of the felony assault charge in 2009.
But according to reports this week, he’s faced multiple charges in the time since.
He has pleaded not guilty in the most recent misdemeanor charges and was taken to the Adult Correctional Institutions as a probation violator.
