Entitled Behavior During Arrest at Newport Restaurant

This week, an incident exemplified a troubling trend among some individuals in positions of authority. Rhode Island Assistant Attorney General Devon Flanagan Hogan was recorded on bodycam footage resisting arrest outside the upscale Clarke Cooke House in Newport, displaying an attitude of entitlement and disdain for law enforcement procedures.

The altercation began when Hogan, accompanied by friends, was asked to leave the premises. Despite efforts by police to de-escalate the situation, Hogan repeatedly demanded the officers turn off her bodycam, insisting, “Protocol is you turn it off if a citizen requests you turn it off,” and claiming, “I’m an AG.”

Her companions, including a woman dressed in satin and a man in a suit, echoed her defiance, with one asserting Hogan’s legal status to the officers. Hogan continued to lecture the officers about protocol, refusing to comply with instructions to leave, and insisting the police had no right to arrest her without proper notice.

The situation escalated as Hogan refused to step into the police vehicle and screamed threats, telling officers they would regret the arrest. The video captures her as she is finally placed into a cruiser, shrieking: “Buddy, you’re going to regret this. You’re going to regret it. I’m an AG.”

The incident culminated with Hogan’s outright refusal to comply, her hysterical behavior, and her subsequent arrest — along with her friend Veronica Hannan and Hannan’s husband — on charges of trespass, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest.

Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha subsequently reviewed the bodycam footage, expressing disappointment and hinting at disciplinary action, including the possibility of suspension. He suggested alcohol may have played a role, but emphasized that it does not excuse her misconduct.

This episode underscores a growing issue: behaviors of arrogance, entitlement, and disrespect towards law enforcement, traits that erode public trust. Many hope that such displays serve as a wake-up call for those abusing their positions and for a nation tired of childish tantrums masking hypocrisy and privilege.