The Rhode Island special assistant attorney general who recently went viral getting cuffed on police bodycam footage over her alleged trespassing is now on unpaid leave.
Special Assistant Attorney General Devon Flanagan was initially put on paid leave after she was arrested outside a restaurant in Newport, RI. However, the Attorney General’s office has since placed her on unpaid leave starting Monday as officials review the case, Fox News reported on Saturday.
Flanagan is reportedly a Democrat, according to the Daily Mail, and the Fox article cited state payroll records that said she makes about $113,000 annually.
Police bodycam footage of the initial incident shows the moment officers approach Flanagan along with another woman outside the restaurant. When the officer tries to move them away from the door of the establishment, the two women try to tell him what to do.
Flanagan proceeds to repeatedly tell the officer, “I’m an AG, I’m an AG,” but he tells her he does not care who she is and continues to move the women. When they keep refusing to move, the officer takes out his handcuffs and places them on Flanagan, who again repeats, “I’m an AG! I’m an AG!” as he walks her toward a police vehicle.
When she is finally seated in the vehicle, she tells the officer, “Buddy, you’re gonna regret this,” then says, once again, “I’m an AG!” as he shuts the car door:
During an interview after the arrest, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha (D) said Flanagan “put me in a bad position” and “embarrassed herself.”
“I haven’t had many issues like this while I’ve been attorney general. I’ve had a few,” he stated:
In response to the video, the Rhode Island Republican Party demanded Flanagan be fired, according to NBC Boston.
Chairman Jim Powers said, “The arrogance on display here is exactly what Rhode Islanders are sick of. This wasn’t just bad judgment, it was willful disobedience, misrepresentation of the law, and the ugly face of a ruling class that thinks they’re smarter, better, and more important than the people they serve.”
He also applauded the Newport Police officers who arrived at the scene, saying, “These officers showed the restraint, poise, and integrity that Ms. Flanagan clearly lacked. They did their job with honor while she played the role of a spoiled elitist.”
