Rhode Island Attorney General from viral arrest video placed on unpaid leave

Rhode Island Assistant Attorney General Placed on Unpaid Leave After Arrest

The Rhode Island assistant attorney general, whose arrest went viral earlier this week after she seemingly tried to use her position to evade arrest, will now be placed on unpaid leave. Special Assistant Attorney General Devon Flanagan, who was arrested for trespassing, was initially placed on paid leave directly after the incident while the Rhode Island Attorney General’s office reviewed the matter. However, starting Monday, Flanagan will transition to unpaid leave, the office informed Fox News Digital.

It remains unclear how long Flanagan will remain on unpaid leave until a final determination is made regarding her employment status. The Attorney General’s office declined to provide additional details about its ongoing review of the matter or specify when a final decision might be reached.

State payroll records indicate that Flanagan was earning approximately $113,000 annually in her role as a Special Assistant Attorney General. Following her arrest, bodycam footage captured Flanagan berating officers and insisting that she was an attorney general, implying that she should not be detained.

In a subsequent radio interview, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha condemned Flanagan’s behavior as “inexcusable” and hinted at potential strong sanctions. Neronha acknowledged that while incidents like this are rare within his office, he has previously had to address similar issues with staff members.

Neronha expressed his belief that the incident was alcohol-related but emphasized that this did not excuse Flanagan’s actions. Despite her previously unblemished record, Flanagan is now facing repercussions for her conduct, including issuing an apology to the New Port Police Department.

The attorney general also addressed Flanagan’s erroneous assertion that police officers must turn off their body cameras upon request by a citizen, stating that she was not thinking clearly at the time. Regardless of the outcome of her employment status, Neronha remarked that Flanagan will have a difficult road ahead in rebuilding her reputation.

The incident involving Flanagan has sparked public scrutiny and raised questions about accountability within the Rhode Island Attorney General’s office. As the review of the matter continues, the office is under pressure to take decisive action to address the behavior of one of its own.