Newport Police Incident Overview

In Rhode Island, prosecutors are urging that Newport police officers have their body cameras disabled, following a recent incident involving a special assistant to the Attorney General.

This situation unfolded Thursday evening when police were dispatched to respond to reports of a disruptive gathering outside the Clark Cookhouse restaurant. There, they encountered Devon Hogan Flanagan’s assistant along with a friend, Veronica Hannan.

Bodycam footage released by the department reveals Flanagan making threats and attempting to intimidate the officers, leading to a somewhat chaotic exchange.

Upon their arrival, Flanagan asserted, “I want the bodycam to be turned off. The protocol is to turn that off,” as shown in the footage.

The officer then urged both women to exit the premises, stating, “They want you to leave. Let’s just leave.”

The clip captures the officer seeking confirmation from a restaurant staff member regarding whether the women should vacate the property.

The staff member responded, “Whatever we can do. Trespass, yes, please cuff.”

Flanagan reacted defensively, claiming, “We are not trespassing. You haven’t notified us that we’re trespassing.”

The officer reiterated, “Let’s go. I don’t want to arrest you guys.”

As the situation developed, Hannan finally revealed to the officers that Flanagan was a lawyer, attempting to leverage that information.

The officer countered, “Well, it belongs to a bull lawyer, so that’s not correct.”

In response, Flanagan insisted, “I’m an AG. I’m an AG,” to which the officer replied, “It’s good for you. Let’s go.”

Flanagan then ominously warned, “You’ll regret that. I’m an A,” just before the officer seemingly dismissed the comment, closing the door of the cruiser.

Timothy Rondeau, a spokesperson for the Attorney General’s Office, informed a local news outlet that Flanagan’s demands regarding the cameras do not align with statewide policies, which are designed primarily for crime victims and witnesses.

According to the Newport Police Department’s policy, officers can decide whether to record if members of the public object to being filmed, and consent is not required for recording.

Officers noted in a report that Flanagan was “quickly uncooperative, questioned our authority, and demanded that the body camera be turned off.”

The Attorney General’s Office is currently reviewing the case, and Flanagan was later taken into custody.

The Rhode Island Attorney General’s office had not responded to a request for comment at the time of this report.