Grand Jury Finds Police Actions 'Lawful' in Death of Tiverton Man

The statewide grand jury concluded its investigation into the facts and circumstances surrounding the death of Craig Raposa on Wednesday.

Raposa died while in the custody of members of the Portsmouth Police Department on Feb. 3, 2012 in Portsmouth, according to a press release from the Attorney General's Office.

"The statewide grand jury has determined that the actions by the officers were lawful and legally justified," according to the release. 

This incident was investigated by State Police with the Office of Attorney General, and presented to the grand jury.

"It is the responsibility of the grand jury to determine the facts, apply the law to those facts and to decide whether anyone may be charged with criminal wrongdoing," according to the release. 

The Office of Attorney General cannot release further details surrounding the Grand Jury as disclosure is prohibited by law.

Raposa, 25, died of unknown causes following a struggle with Portsmouth police, in which pepper spray was used. 

His mother, Brenda Raposa of Portsmouth, blamed authorities for the death of her son, who suffered from a mental illness. 

"Although we were confident that our officers had conducted themselves appropriately, and while we are pleased with the grand jury’s findings, we are nevertheless sorrowed by the fact that a human life was lost," stated acting Portsmouth Police Chief Jeffrey R. Furtado in a statement. 

"It is truly unfortunate that despite our best efforts, a tragedy still occurred." 

Craig graduated from Portsmouth High School in 2004 as an all-star athlete in football and baseball. He worked at Clements' Market while attending high school and Bristol Community College. 

He also worked for DeCastro's Landscaping helping to build the outside patio of Subway on East Main Road.