A special aide from Rhode Island reportedly threatened a police officer after being arrested alongside her friends at a restaurant on Thursday evening for allegedly refusing to leave the premises.
Body camera footage reveals Devon Flanagan’s arrest outside the 24 Bannister Wharf Restaurant in Newport.
“Buddy, you’ll regret this.”
The Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office has confirmed Flanagan was taken into custody and is facing charges for intentional trespassing.
The footage provides a somewhat humorous look at Flanagan attempting to challenge the officers’ orders, seemingly trying to leverage her position to evade accountability.
“I want the body cam to be turned off. Protocol dictates that if a citizen requests it, it has to be turned off,” she told the officers.
Authorities spoke to the restaurant staff, who confirmed their desire to pursue charges for trespassing.
The officer firmly stated, “So you’re trespassing. You need to leave now.”
Flanagan quickly responded, “We have not trespassed. You didn’t inform us we were trespassing.”
“What did I tell you? You’re trespassing. Let’s go. I don’t want to arrest you,” the officer insisted.
Flanagan retorted defiantly, “You’re not going to arrest us!”
As the exchange escalated, Flanagan repeatedly demanded the officers to switch off their body cameras, further creating a scene.
Her friend added, “She’s a **kin’ lawyer, so she knows!”
The officer replied, “Well, that’s not true because it belongs to Bulls**t lawyers. I have to go.”
Despite her insistence on being the AG, the officer maintained his ground, stating, “Good for you. I won’t give you **t.” Eventually, he cuffed her, and she continued to remind him of her position while laughing, claiming, “Buddy, you’ll regret this,” as the officer closed the cruiser door.
The interaction included the arrest of one of Flanagan’s friends.
You can watch a five-minute interaction in more detail here.
The Attorney General’s Office has indicated they are reviewing the situation but did not provide further comments on personnel matters.
