Devon Flanagan, a Rhode Island Special Assistant Attorney General, was arrested outside a Newport restaurant on August 14, 2025, after she and a friend refused to leave the premises. The arrest became known as the “I’m an AG” incident after body-camera footage showed Flanagan invoking her title, demanding officers turn off their cameras, and warning them they would “regret” the arrest. She pleaded no contest to misdemeanor trespassing, served a six-month unpaid suspension, and returned to the Attorney General’s office in a reassigned role in February 2026.
What Happened Outside the Clarke Cooke House
Newport police were called to the Clarke Cooke House, an upscale restaurant on Bannister’s Wharf, after staff reported two women refusing to leave. The women were Flanagan, then 34, and her friend Veronica Hannan.1Rhode Island Current. Assistant AG Placed on Unpaid Leave Following Arrest in Newport A restaurant employee confirmed to officers that the business wanted the women removed and trespassed from the property.2NBC News. Video Captures Rhode Island Prosecutor Warn Officers Will Regret Arrest
Officers repeatedly told the women the encounter would be over if they simply walked away. Both refused. Flanagan told officers, “We’re not trespassing. You haven’t notified us that we’re trespassing.”3WPRI. Bodycam Video Shows Assistant AG Arrest in Newport Both women were handcuffed and arrested. Flanagan was charged with willful trespass, a misdemeanor. Hannan faced additional charges of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest after she slipped out of her handcuffs and kicked the door of the police vehicle, according to the footage.2NBC News. Video Captures Rhode Island Prosecutor Warn Officers Will Regret Arrest
What Flanagan Said on the Body-Camera Video
The Newport Police Department released the body-camera footage, and it collected more than 772,000 views on YouTube within a week.1Rhode Island Current. Assistant AG Placed on Unpaid Leave Following Arrest in Newport Three moments drove the attention.
As an officer produced handcuffs, Flanagan said, “I’m an AG. I’m an AG. What are your probable cause to detain me for?”3WPRI. Bodycam Video Shows Assistant AG Arrest in Newport She demanded officers deactivate their cameras, insisting it was required: “Protocol is that you turn it off. It’s a citizen’s request that you turn it off.”2NBC News. Video Captures Rhode Island Prosecutor Warn Officers Will Regret Arrest As she was placed into the cruiser, she told the officers, “You’re gonna regret this. You’re gonna regret it.”
The Body-Camera Policy She Cited Was Wrong
Officers were not required to shut off their cameras at Flanagan’s request. Rhode Island Police Chiefs Association President Thomas F. Oates III, also Woonsocket’s police chief, publicly corrected the point: “The statewide policy dictates that an officer may turn off their camera when speaking to a witness or a victim of crime. The policy does not allow for an officer to turn off their camera at the request of a suspect.”4Rhode Island Police Chiefs Association. Statement on Body-Worn Camera Policy
The statewide regulation, developed in 2022 by the Rhode Island Department of Public Safety and the Attorney General’s office, lets officers deactivate cameras only when interacting with crime victims or witnesses in non-confrontational situations. Consent to record is not required, and Newport’s department-level policy mirrors those provisions.5Providence Journal. When Can Police Shut Off the Body Camera The policy had been adopted in collaboration with Flanagan’s own office.
How the Attorney General Responded
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha met with the Newport officers on August 25, 2025, and apologized personally. That same day he placed Flanagan on unpaid leave for six months and issued a public statement: “Special Assistant Attorney General Devon Flanagan mistreated the Newport Police Department and embarrassed herself, the Office, and frankly me. We hold our attorneys to the highest personal and professional standards, and Ms. Flanagan plainly did not meet those standards here.”6ABC News 4. Assistant Attorney General Placed on Unpaid Leave for Six Months Following Arrest
Neronha said he had to “think really carefully” about whether to terminate Flanagan and ultimately concluded that her acceptance of responsibility weighed in favor of suspension. “I sincerely hope she takes this time to reflect on the seriousness of her conduct and makes corrective changes in her life,” he said.7The Public’s Radio. Rhode Island State Prosecutor Devon Flanagan Gets Six-Month Suspension for Newport Incident Flanagan sent written apologies to each of the arresting officers, confirmed by AG spokesperson Timothy Rondeau on August 26, 2025; the letters were not released.8Rhode Island Current. Assistant AG Suspended Without Pay for Six Months
How the Case Ended in Court
Flanagan appeared before Judge J. Terence Houlihan Jr. in Newport County District Court on August 27, 2025, and pleaded no contest to misdemeanor willful trespass.9NBC Boston. Rhode Island AG Flanagan Plea The judge ordered a six-month filing, meaning the charge would be eligible for dismissal if she stayed out of trouble during that period. She was ordered to pay a $96.75 court fee and barred from returning to the Clarke Cooke House.10Rhode Island Current. “I’m an AG” Video Subject Still Is, and Back at Work in New Assignment Hannan pleaded no contest to the resisting arrest count, and her remaining charges were dismissed.11Police1. Assistant Rhode Island AG Who Told Police They Would Regret Arresting Her Pleads No Contest for Trespassing
Where Flanagan Is Now
Flanagan returned to the Attorney General’s office on February 23, 2026.12NBC 10. “I’m an AG” From Viral Video Back at Work but in Different Role She kept her title but was reassigned from the Criminal Division’s Appellate Unit to the Providence County Superior Court daily calendar, a change confirmed by a spokesperson for Neronha.13WPRI. Rhode Island Assistant AG Returns to Work After Viral Newport Arrest
Her salary had risen during her absence from $112,920 to $117,437, reflecting cost-of-living adjustments. Reporting as of late February 2026 indicated she had stayed out of legal trouble since the arrest, which would make the trespassing charge eligible for dismissal under the court’s six-month filing.10Rhode Island Current. “I’m an AG” Video Subject Still Is, and Back at Work in New Assignment