Trial begins in trooper assault

PROVIDENCE - A man accused of punching an off-duty Rhode Island state trooper and knocking him unconscious during a fight is preparing to stand trial.

Jury selection was scheduled to begin Tuesday for James Proulx, who’s facing charges in Providence Superior Court of felony assault and reckless driving.

Prosecutors say the Smithfield man punched Brendan Doyle, causing him to fall backward and hit his head on the pavement, after the trooper confronted him for allegedly driving recklessly in downtown Providence in June 2007.

Doyle, who was out with friends when the fight occurred, was in a coma after the incident but has since returned to work.