27-06-2025
Providence sergeant who beat handcuffed man will be allowed to return to active duty
The panel found Hanley guilty of multiple administrative charges related to the April 2020 day he arrested Rishod Gore on Tell Street, including violations of the city's use of force policy. Hanley was
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Hanley's own body-worn camera was not turned on, but his actions were captured by other officers' cameras.
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April 2020 body camera video, Sgt. Joseph Hanley is seen kicking and verbally berating Rishod Gore, a man whom he was arresting on Tell Street in Providence.
Two mayors and two police chiefs have wanted to fire Hanley for the incident over the past half-decade, but state law gave Hanley the right to a hearing by the three-member panel of officers, and the process had to wait until after his criminal case is over.
After two trials — one
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Hanley remained suspended during the long-drawn out case. He is no longer paid his salary, but receives medical and dental benefits from the city.
The decision says Hanley must be restored to active duty after serving his 45-day suspension.
'Sergeant Joseph Hanley has maintained an unblemished and exemplary record of service, one that distinguishes him not only within the Providence Police Department but throughout the broader law enforcement community,' Patalano and Boehm wrote.
In a 50-page decision, the panel of officers said Hanley was initially offered a 45-day suspension back when the assault happened in 2020. But while Hanley was contemplating accepting the punishment, the decision reads,
'The city subsequently moved to terminate Sergeant Hanley, a decision which he portrays was politically motivated and inconsistent with established disciplinary practices including the clear pattern of precedent-based disciplinary measures,' the decision says.
In his dissent, O'Hara said Hanley's behavior was 'outrageous,' and it was 'mind-boggling' that the seasoned sergeant would launch into 'such as volatile, unrestrained tirade and a violent criminal assault on a prone and handcuffed Rishod Gore, who was suspected of committing a misdemeanor.'
'Hanley's explosive reaction, insulting vulgarity, unhinged anger, and criminal physicality with Gore are a downright disgrace,' O'Hara wrote.
The long-drawn-out case prompted widespread outrage and was one of several cases that helped propel an effort to
Hanley's case was the last to be heard by a three-member panel of officers under the old Law Enforcement Officers' Bill of Rights. The makeup of the panel was widely criticized because the accused officer had a say in who was on it.
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The new law, renamed the
Steph Machado can be reached at
