Around the time of George Floyd’s murder in the spring of 2020, Providence had its own incident that fueled protests and allegations of police brutality.
Joseph Hanley, a Providence police sergeant, was filmed kicking a Black man, Rishod Gore, as he laid face down on the ground in handcuffs. Providence publicly announced it was firing Sgt. Hanley in July 2020. But the city’s attempt was complicated by a state law called the Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights. Hanley used LEOBOR to appeal his termination to a committee of fellow police officers, who gave him his job back this summer after a prolonged disciplinary process.
Rhode Island legislators began revising LEOBOR shortly after the video of Hanley’s conduct sparked outrage in Providence. The legislation passed four years later, in June 2024…