North Smithfield woman accused of assaulting friend and Woonsocket police officer

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — A 32-year-old woman from North Smithfield is facing multiple charges after allegedly assaulting a friend and a Woonsocket police officer during a chaotic early-morning incident last month.

Samantha Plante was arrested on May 22 and charged with two counts of assault, vandalism, and disorderly conduct. Police say the incident began around 2 a.m. at a residence on South Main Street, where they found a woman outside with visible injuries and a smashed windshield on a nearby car.

The woman told police Plante, identified as her friend, became violent after being picked up from Landmark Medical Center earlier that night. The argument reportedly escalated after Plante refused to quiet down, prompting the victim to try to take her phone away. Plante allegedly responded by repeatedly striking her.

Moments later, the victim heard the sound of glass breaking. Officers found the windshield of her parked Mitsubishi shattered.

Plante was located nearby with an ankle injury and brought back to the hospital for evaluation before being taken into custody.

During booking, police say Plante struck Sgt. Michael Theroux’s hand with her crutches, causing one to swing into another officer’s groin. That led to a second assault charge.

She has since been released and is expected to appear in court later this month.