WATCH: Democrat Lawmaker Gets Arrested In Stunning Police Bodycam Footage

Newly released police body-worn camera footage has rattled through Rhode Island politics, showing a high-ranking Democrat law enforcement official berating officers, insisting they follow her orders, and ultimately being arrested after refusing to leave a Newport restaurant.

Special Assistant Attorney General Devon Hogan Flanagan, who has worked in the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office for seven years, was arrested late Thursday, August 14, outside the Clarke Cooke House on Bannister’s Wharf. She faces a charge of willful trespass after officers responded to reports of patrons refusing to leave.

The footage begins with officers repeatedly telling Flanagan and her friend, Veronica Hannan, to exit the restaurant. Instead, Flanagan can be heard attempting to assert authority over the situation.

“If I ask you to turn off the body cam, you have to turn it off. That’s your protocol,” Flanagan told officers.

Her companion quickly chimed in, “She’s a f***ing lawyer, so she knows.”

The officer bluntly rejected that demand, replying: “Well, that’s bullsh*t lawyer stuff. So that’s not true. We got to go.”

The exchange only escalated. Flanagan identified herself as an “AG” more than ten times, repeating, “I’m an AG, I’m an AG,” while resisting officers’ instructions. The officers, unimpressed, responded flatly: “Good for you. I don’t give a sh*t. Let’s go.”

At one point, as officers moved to place her in handcuffs, Flanagan shouted, “What are you detaining me for? What’s your probable cause?”

Officers calmly explained she was being detained because she refused to leave when asked. Flanagan then accused them of violating procedure, yelling, “You’re maroon-dizing me. You’re not maroon-dizing me!”—a botched reference to the Miranda rights process.

As she was placed in a cruiser, she issued a final threat: “Buddy, you’re gonna regret this.”

The footage also captures Hannan, described in media reports as a local activist, resisting officers. At one point she screamed, hissed, and kicked, according to police, before being charged with willful trespass, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest.

One officer, caught on bodycam, can be heard telling Hannan, “What’s wrong with you? You’re acting like a kid!”

The incident has placed the state Attorney General’s Office in an uncomfortable spotlight. Flanagan, who is assigned to the appellate division of the Criminal Division, has worked on behalf of the state for nearly a decade.

Following the release of the footage under Rhode Island’s Access to Public Records Act, the Attorney General’s Office confirmed it has launched a review of the incident. Clips of the arrest went viral Monday morning after being shared by local commentator Nicole Solas.

Online critics pointed to the incident as an example of arrogance and entitlement in the state’s Democratic leadership.

For Flanagan, the consequences could extend beyond a misdemeanor trespassing charge. Questions now swirl about whether she can continue to serve in a senior position responsible for prosecuting cases and upholding the law.

Flanagan has been issued a District Court summons and is expected to appear before a judge in the coming weeks. The Attorney General’s Office has promised a swift internal review, though no timeline has been provided for possible disciplinary action.