NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (WPRI) – A North Kingstown teenager who was allegedly involved in a videotaped assault earlier this month appeared in court Tuesday.
Jack Donegan was arraigned on simple assault and disorderly conduct charges Tuesday morning and released on his own recognizance. He is accused of assaulting a man during an incident caught on camera back in late March.
A 21-second video – captured on a witness’s cell phone and shared with WPRI.com via ReportIt in early May – shows a man, who police believe is 18-year-old Donegan, repeatedly punching another man – referred to by police as “the victim.”
According to police, the fight shown in the recording began as Donegan and the alleged victim were playing video games in Donegan’s North Kingstown home. Police said Donegan’s mother, Jayne Donegan – the subject of a recently dropped social host violation charge stemming from a party that took place at her home back in January – was not home at the time of the video recording.
The victim told police Donegan accused him of stealing $15,000 worth of jewelry from the home – an accusation the victim said he denied. After the alleged assault, the victim said Donegan asked him not to press charges. He said Donegan offered to give him money in exchange for his silence.
But the victim filed a police report on May 1, two days after the recorded incident, saying he suffered a mild concussion, contusions and a neck sprain as a result of the alleged assault. The victim also told police he had headaches and internal injuries that caused him to vomit blood.
Donegan turned himself in to police on May 2.