FBI reviewing claims against RI police in death

WESTERLY, R.I. (AP) — The FBI is reviewing allegations of wrongdoing by Westerly police in the arrest of a Connecticut man who died 16 hours after being released from custody.

Special Agent Greg Comcowich, a spokesman for the FBI's Boston office, told The Westerly Sun on Thursday that agents are reviewing claims that police violated Ryan O'Loughlin's civil rights. But he said the review is not a formal investigation.

The 34-year-old Mystic, Conn., resident died in June 2011 after being released from custody after Westerly police charged him with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest outside a bar. His death was ruled a homicide from a blow to the abdomen.

A lawyer for O'Loughlin's family accuses three Westerly officers of causing his death, but a Rhode Island grand jury declined to indict the officers.

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Information from: The Westerly Sun