FEELING THE FALLOUT: RI Assistant AG in Viral Bodycam Arrest Moved to Unpaid Leave 📰
Rhode Island Special Assistant Attorney General Devon Hogan Flanagan — seen in a widely shared body-camera video telling Newport police they would “regret” arresting her — has been shifted from paid to unpaid leave, according to the Attorney General’s Office. The change follows a week of internal review and public scrutiny after the Aug. 14 arrest outside Newport’s Clarke Cooke House.
Officials said the unpaid leave begins Monday, Aug. 25, 2025, while the personnel investigation continues. Flanagan, 34, is charged with misdemeanor willful trespass. Her employment status — including whether discipline could escalate to suspension or termination — remains under review.
The Viral Moment: “I’m an AG” — and “You’re Going to Regret This” 🎥
Bodycam video shows Flanagan repeatedly identifying herself — “I’m an AG” — and insisting officers turn off their cameras as they responded to a trespass complaint. As she was placed in a cruiser, she told an officer, “Buddy, you’re going to regret this.” Police are heard declining to shut off cameras, citing department policy and state rules.
The clip, posted by local outlets and shared nationally, became a flashpoint over professional ethics and police transparency. Within days, the Attorney General said the behavior was “inexcusable” and promised “strong sanction.”
Timeline: Arrest, Video, and the Shift to Unpaid Leave 🗓️
Aug. 14: Newport police respond to the Bannister’s Wharf restaurant and arrest Flanagan on a trespass charge after staff request trespass enforcement. A companion is also arrested on additional counts. Aug. 18–20: Bodycam footage is released and circulates widely.
Aug. 22–23: The Attorney General’s Office confirms Flanagan will move from paid leave to unpaid leave starting Monday, Aug. 25, pending outcome of a personnel review. Political and public reactions intensify as the clip trends.
The Charges and What Comes Next in Court ⚖️
Flanagan faces misdemeanor willful trespass. Newport police said restaurant representatives affirmed they wanted the group trespassed, triggering enforcement. A companion faces disorderly conduct and resisting arrest counts in addition to trespass.
Online court listings show an arraignment scheduled in Newport District Court on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. As with any misdemeanor in Rhode Island, penalties can include fines and/or short jail terms, though first-offense outcomes often involve non-custodial resolutions.
Bodycams 101: What Rhode Island Policy Actually Says 🎛️
Statewide policy allows cameras to be deactivated in limited circumstances — typically when interviewing a witness or victim, or for safety/privacy reasons — and at an officer’s discretion. It does not require shutoff simply because a suspect or arrestee asks.
Newport’s own policy mirrors that approach. In the viral video, officers declined requests to turn cameras off and continued recording, consistent with the rules outlined by state and local agencies.
Inside the AG’s Response: “Inexcusable” Conduct, Apology to Police 🏛️
Attorney General Peter Neronha publicly criticized the conduct captured in the footage, calling it “inexcusable.” He said Flanagan watched the video with him and would apologize to Newport police. He also signaled a “strong sanction” as he weighed discipline.
The office emphasized that one high-profile incident should not overshadow the work of more than 100 prosecutors statewide. The disciplinary outcome — from suspension up to possible termination — will follow the personnel process.
What “Unpaid Leave” Means for a Prosecutor 📝
Moving to unpaid leave removes salary during the review period while preserving the employer’s ability to decide final discipline. State payroll data list Flanagan’s annual pay at roughly $113,000 as a Special Assistant Attorney General in the criminal appellate unit.
Benefits and accruals are governed by state HR rules and can vary by leave type. The shift signals seriousness without predetermining the final employment decision.
Politics & Optics: Reactions from Both Sides 📣
State party leaders amplified the video to argue broader points about accountability and public trust, while law-enforcement groups praised officers for adhering to policy. Supporters of Flanagan cited a previously strong record and urged the process to play out before final judgment.
For the AG’s office, the priority is demonstrating that professional standards apply regardless of title — to the public and to the staff they lead. The personnel probe and court proceedings will unfold on their own schedules.
Law in Plain English: Trespass and Disorderly Conduct 📚
In Rhode Island, willful trespass generally applies when a person remains on property after being told to leave by someone with authority. Disorderly conduct and resisting arrest are separate misdemeanors that can attach based on behavior during an incident.
These charges don’t hinge on a person’s job title. Prosecutors and public officials face the same elements and penalties as anyone else, and cases are adjudicated in the ordinary course.
Ethics Angle: When Your Job Is Upholding the Law 🧭
Prosecutors are held to heightened expectations in and out of court. Codes of conduct discourage using official position to influence police decisions, and agencies often consider off-duty incidents in evaluating fitness to serve.
Any professional ramifications — training, suspension, or termination — would come through internal disciplinary channels and, if implicated, bar oversight. Those processes run parallel to the criminal case.
Names, Titles, and Records: Getting the Basics Right 🧾
Newsrooms and public records list the prosecutor as Devon Hogan Flanagan (also reported as Devon Flanagan), age 34, assigned to the criminal appellate unit since 2018. The arrest occurred in Newport after staff sought trespass enforcement.
Salary disclosures put compensation at about $112,920–$113,000 annually. Those figures and unit assignments come from state transparency and agency statements released since the video surfaced.
What to Watch: Dates, Decisions, and Possible Outcomes ⏱️
Key markers ahead: Unpaid leave effective Aug. 25; arraignment on Aug. 27; continuing personnel review at the AG’s office. Depending on findings, outcomes could include formal suspension, retraining, or termination — decisions that typically aren’t announced until the process closes.
On the court side, expect case updates after arraignment and any motions. On the employment side, look for official statements from the AG’s office, not social media posts, to signal final action.
HR Process: How Discipline Typically Works for State Prosecutors 🏛️
During an active personnel review, agencies generally limit public details to protect due process. Investigators gather reports, interview witnesses, and evaluate policy compliance before recommending discipline ranging from training to termination.
Because prosecutors represent the state in court, managers weigh not just conduct but credibility and public trust. Any sanction aims to restore those pillars while keeping casework moving for victims and defendants.
Bodycam Policy, Explained: Why “Turn It Off” Isn’t the Rule 🎥
Rhode Island and many local departments allow deactivation only in narrow situations (e.g., protecting a victim/witness or sensitive tactics) and at an officer’s discretion. A subject’s request alone doesn’t compel a shutoff.
That framework prioritizes transparency and evidence integrity. When incidents go viral, policy reviews focus on whether officers followed written triggers for recording and any permitted exceptions.
Trespass 101: The Elements at Issue 🚫
Willful trespass generally hinges on notice and refusal to leave. Once a person with authority tells someone to depart — and that person stays — officers may enforce a trespass complaint.
Disputes often center on whether notice was clear and who had authority. Video, 911 calls, and staff statements typically decide those facts in court.
What Court Outcomes Commonly Look Like in First-Offense Misdemeanors ⚖️
For low-level first offenses, judges often see diversion, fines, community service, or case dismissals after conditions. Outcomes vary by facts, prior record, and prosecutorial discretion.
Nothing about employment status predetermines the court result; the criminal case runs on its own track with its own rules and evidence.
Professional Ethics: Titles, Influence, and Using Your Position 🧭
Lawyers — especially public prosecutors — are expected to avoid using official status to influence police actions in personal matters. Agencies weigh whether remarks could be seen as coercive or undermining public confidence.
Internal reviews look for policy violations and fitness-to-serve issues, not public embarrassment alone. Training, suspension, or termination can all be on the table depending on findings.
Public Records & Video Releases: Why You’re Seeing So Much Footage 📂
Bodycam video is often released under public-records laws or by agencies to address intense public interest. Redactions protect minors, sensitive tactics, or private information.
For high-profile incidents, departments may also post excerpts alongside reports and timelines so the public can compare policy to practice.
Inside the AG’s Office: Keeping Cases Moving 📁
When a prosecutor goes on leave, supervisors reassign active files to maintain court deadlines and ensure continuity for victims and defense counsel. Appeals and pretrial schedules typically proceed without interruption.
Managers also assess conflicts to avoid putting colleagues in cases where they are potential witnesses to employment issues.
Viral Velocity: How a 30-Second Clip Shapes Policy Debates 📣
Social media can compress the timeline from incident to discipline. Agencies now anticipate rapid public feedback and prepare fact sheets, FAQs, and policy summaries to explain decisions.
The upside is transparency; the risk is snap judgments. That’s why personnel outcomes still rely on internal files, not comment counts.
Comparisons Are Tempting — and Tricky 🔁
Past “Do you know who I am?” cases abound, but each turns on its own facts: exact words used, officer responses, local policy, and prior records. Similar-sounding videos can end in very different outcomes.
HR decisions tend to reflect precedent inside the agency, not outside headlines — a key reason timelines and sanctions vary case by case.
Workplace Rights & Limits During an Investigation 🧾
Public employees typically retain due-process protections and access to counsel. Agencies, meanwhile, can set interim conditions — including leave without pay — to preserve integrity and trust.
Some roles are unionized; others are not. Either way, written policy governs interviews, document access, and appeal options after discipline.
Why “Unpaid Leave” Signals Gravity Without Prejudging Guilt 🧮
Moving from paid to unpaid leave communicates seriousness to the public and the workforce while keeping the final call pending. It also separates employment consequences from any future court outcome.
In reputational roles like prosecution, perceived impartiality is a job requirement. Interim steps aim to protect that asset during review.
What Would Move the Needle on Discipline 📊
Agencies typically weigh: corroborated facts from bodycam and reports; whether policies were knowingly misrepresented; cooperation with investigators; and remedial steps such as apologies or training.
Past performance and prior discipline also factor in. The goal is consistency with similar cases, adjusted for the employee’s role and public visibility.
Community Trust Test: What the Public Will Watch Next 🔭
Expect attention on the final HR decision, any court filings, and whether agencies clarify bodycam guidance for future encounters. Clear timelines and explanations help reinforce that rules apply evenly.
For residents and rank-and-file officers alike, the signal they’re waiting for is simple: consistent standards regardless of a person’s title.
Conclusion: Accountability, Policy, and Proof Over Posture 🏁
This case sits at the intersection of law-enforcement transparency and public accountability. Video may set the narrative, but policies and records decide the outcome.
As the review concludes, the enduring measure will be whether the Attorney General’s Office applies the same rules to its own as it demands from everyone else — and explains that decision clearly to the public.
