Providence Police sergeant who assaulted handcuffed suspect, gets 1 year probation
By: It all started five years ago. Ironically, the event took place just about one month before the George Floyd incident.
Providence Police Sergeant Joseph Hanley, while responding to a call, was captured on a body camera on April 19, 2020, punching and kicking a Providence man.
According to the findings of the Providence External Review Authority (PERA), Hanley violated a number of police standards. PERA found that by ”using video from the [body worn camera] and the cell phone footage, Sergeant Hanley is observed in the following acts after the complainant is in handcuffs and lying on the ground in the prone position:
• Kneeling on the back of his neck/shoulder (Sergeant Hanley appears to use the open car door as support, lift his supporting foot off the ground bearing his full weight on the complainant’s neck and shoulder)
• Punch to the ribs (left side)
• Kick to the rib area
• Kick to the head
• Walking on the back of the complainant’s lower legs
• NOTE: During the assault(s) Sergeant Hanley continued to verbally taunt the complainant."
Hanley had first been found guilty in 2021.
Then-Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza celebrated the conviction.
"Our approach to public safety relies on trust between the police and the community, and we are appalled by what this officer did," said Elorza at the time. "Upon seeing the video, we immediately recommended termination and then worked with the Attorney General's office to make sure the officer was prosecuted. We hope this verdict helps bring justice to the victim and, as we move forward, we will remain focused on continuing to building trust between the police and our residents."
That verdict was overturned, and then there was a second trial, which resulted in a hung trial.
He was set to face a third trial when Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha’s office entered into a plea deal. No jail for Hanley, but one year on probation.
In court on Friday, Superior Court Judge Melissa Darigan approved Hanley’s plea of nolo contendere.
Failure by Other Officers to Restrain Hanley, Failure for All Officers to Use Body Cameras
At the time, there was criticism not only of Hanley but of the other officers on the scene for failing to stop Hanley's assault.
“The report issued by the Providence External Review Authority about the pending assault case involving Sgt. Joseph Hanley is deeply troubling for a number of reasons. Not only does the report describe assaultive behavior toward a handcuffed suspect, but it also details the unconscionable failure of other officers to restrain Sgt. Hanley while he allegedly engaged in this conduct," said Steven Brown, Executive Director of the ACLU of Rhode Island, in October of 2020.
“However, we think it is also important not to overlook another finding of the report: the failure of Providence police officers to take seriously their obligation to use their body-worn cameras when interacting with the public. In clear violation of departmental policy, two of the three officers on the scene of the incident, including Sgt. Hanley, did not record their encounter with the suspect," said Brown.