Last Friday police in North Providence, Rhode Island were called by a woman who had spotted a group of teenagers damaging her mailbox. The cops quickly located the yellow sports car which had been at the crime scene and apprehended the suspects.

But instead of booking the five teenagers, the cops opted for a bit of "street" justice, making the boys get down on the pavement and perform push-ups. When the suspects were finished with this exercise, they were released.

Nothing would have come of this -- and the teens would've probably been happy they dodged a bullet -- if a neighbor hadn't recorded the scene on his cellphone.

When the video hit the local news station WJAR-TV controversy erupted, and North Providence Police Chief Paul Martellini launched an internal investigation.

"Some people say it's the right thing to do. Some people say it's the wrong thing to do. The question is, was it the professional thing to do?," Martellini said.

Unfortunately for the officers, North Providence Mayor Charles Lombardi is in the "wrong thing to do" camp, and wants the cops involved suspended. "You can't fix stupid. I think that's the only explanation here," he said, making his thoughts on the officers' behavior clear.

What do you think? Are push-ups an appropriate punishment for the teen's alleged crime? Watch video footage of the incident below and let us know.

More From B98.5