A Republican candidate running for state senate in Rhode Island punched his opponent, a Black woman, on Friday night.

The protest got heated as it started to draw more demonstrators from both sides of the issue. The GOP candidate, who is also a police officer, was caught on video throwing a punch that struck the woman at an abortion protest.

The officer, a 3-year veteran, was off duty when the incident occurred. He announced on Saturday he was dropping out of the senate election following the incident. He was also suspended from the police department with pay for assault. He is reportedly under a criminal investigation now.

Before announcing he was dropping out of the race, he claimed he was trying to protect a group of people who were being threatened when he threw the punch.

No word on the woman’s injuries or if she intends to press charges. She said she intends to continue running.

More about the incident with video can be found here.