Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

PROVIDENCE -- A Central Falls man charged with wielding a machete at a group of people at Lincoln Woods State Park Wednesday will be held in the Adult Correctional Institutions pending a violation hearing on Dec. 11, the state police said.

Francis Cookinham, 44, of 394 Central St., Floor 3, has been held at the ACI since his arrest Wednesday evening. He was in district court this morning on charges of felony assault with a deadly weapon -- a machete -- possession of cocaine, and weapons other than firearms prohibited following the Wednesday incident.

Cookinham was out on probation.

Gail Levasseur, 45, of 81 Summit St., who was also arrested following the incident, pleaded no contest this morning to possession of a knife with a blade larger than 3 inches and disorderly conduct charges, according to Rhode Island State Police Sgt. Frank Castellone.

She was sentenced to one year suspended and one year of probation for the knife charge and six months suspended and six months probation for the disorderly conduct charge, Castellone said.

Castellone said State Police received a 911 call at about 6 p.m. Wednesday about a group of people wielding a large knife at a second group at the state park. The two groups appeared to have been drinking in the park and got into a confrontation.

Cookinham, Levasseur and two others who were not charged fled the area in a car, with the other group and State Police in pursuit on Route 146. They were stopped on the ramp of Route 146 south onto Branch Avenue in Providence, Castellone said.

 Tags  Lincoln Providence RI State Police

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