Bodycam footage shows the moments a Rhode Island state prosecutor was arrested for trespassing, among other charges, touting her position to the arresting cops, and telling one that he was going to “regret” taking her into custody.
The footage shows Special Assistant Attorney General Devon Hogan Flanagan repeatedly telling officers she’s an “AG” when she and her friend, Veronica Hannan, are arrested on Aug. 14 outside a restaurant.
Officers with the Newport Police Department were called to the Clarke Cook House restaurant at 9:51 p.m. that night about an “unwanted party.” Staffers told police that Flanagan and Hannan refused to leave the establishment after being asked 13 times, WLNE reported.
The video shows the cops interacting with both women outside the restaurant. As soon as one cop approaches Flanagan, she requests that he turn his body camera off, citing “protocol.”
The cop talks to a staff member standing outside the restaurant, who says that he wants the women off the property, citing trespassing.
The officer walks back to Flanagan and Hannan, telling them that they’re trespassing and they need to leave, prompting Flanagan to launch an argument with the cop.
“We’re not trespassing,” Flanagan argues. “You’re not gonna arrest us.”
Hannan instructs the cop to calm down and listen to Flanagan, who explains that the cop must turn off his bodycam if a citizen requests it. According to Newport Police Department policy, a witness or victim can request an officer to turn their body camera off if the encounter is non-confrontational.
In this case, it appears that Flanagan and her friend were neither witnesses nor victims, but subjects of a minor crime complaint.
“She’s a f***ing lawyer,” Hannan says, pointing to Flanagan.
“Well, that’s bull (expletive) lawyer stuff. So that’s not true,” the officer replies.
“I’m an AG,” Flanagan says. “I’m an AG.”
“Good for you,” the cop says, “I don’t give a (expletive). Let’s go.”
The obviously annoyed cop asked the women’s male companion to “get your children out of here.” That didn’t land well with Flannagan who immediately rebuffed, “I’m sorry, what?” Nor the male companion who tried to explain that they’re “two full grown women, they’re mothers…”.
Moments later the cop cuffs Flanagan, who protests her arrest and continues telling the cop she’s “an AG.” Flanagan says she’s an attorney general nearly a dozen times during the encounter. The officer slammed the patrol vehicle door just as Flannagan was repeating her title yet another time.
When the officer places her in a police cruiser, she says, “Buddy, you’re gonna regret this. You’re gonna regret it.”
Hannan was detained in much more dramatic fashion, kicking and screaming as she was placed in the back of a cop car.
She refused to be cuffed, telling cops, “Get your f***ing hands off me!”
After one cop partially cuffs her, she escapes his grasp and takes the cuffs off. The officers grab her once again and struggle to cuff her wrists as she continues resisting. Once the cuffs are secure, they take her to a cop car.
It takes the cops roughly a minute to get her into a police cruiser because she uses her feet to keep the backseat door open while screaming and shouting, “No!” as officers try to shut her inside.
Flanagan and Hannan were charged with trespassing, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest.
The arrest video garnered thousands of reactions online. Many applauding the officer’s actions.
“The way he shut the door in the middle of her “I’m an AG!” – priceless. Flawless comedic timing,” wrote one user on WJAR’s Youtube page.
Another added, “The cop calling them children was 100% accurate and perfectly delivered.”
“There are times when I think cops unnecessarily escalate situations. This is not one of them. “I’m an AG”. “Good for you, I don’t give a sh!t” is absolute gold,” wrote another.
One user speculated that Flannagan’s career may be over. “She’s only partially right. She WAS an AG. Career over — welcome to Home Depot.”
The Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office is investigating the incident.
“Ms. Flanagan has been employed with the Office for approximately 7 years and is currently assigned to Appellate Unit of the Criminal Division,” the attorney general’s office said in a statement to The Providence Journal. “The Office immediately began a review of the incident, which we anticipate will conclude within the next few days.”
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said that if the office decides to keep Flanagan on, she’d likely face a “strong sanction” and “suspension without pay.”
“Look, she’s put me in a bad position. She’s embarrassed herself, humiliated herself, treated the Newport Police Department horribly,” Neronha said during an Aug. 19 interview on WPRO talk radio. “She is going to take some steps to try to address that in the next day or so.
Neronha said that Flanagan would “take responsibility for her conduct,” adding that an “apology” to the Newport Police Department is “clearly necessary,” and she understands that.”
He also noted that Flanagan “misstated” body camera protocol.
“It was inexcusable behavior. She knows better. … I’ve got 110 lawyers. She embarrassed all of them, in a sense,” Neronha said.
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