Episode Details

Providence is back in court fighting to fire a police sergeant accused of brutalizing a handcuffed suspect six years ago — a case that’s dragged on for years, with two disciplinary panels both upholding a 45-day suspension instead of termination. Despite pleading no contest to assault and being off-duty since the incident, the sergeant, Joseph Hanley, remains eligible to return — even as city officials argue he betrayed public trust and shouldn’t be allowed to serve again. The latest legal battle comes under new state discipline rules, after the old system — which involved a three-person panel often swayed by political influence — was scrapped. This time, the city’s pushing hard in Superior Court, claiming Hanley’s conduct proves he’s unfit for law enforcement — but the panel chairman, also a state senator, sided with leniency, calling the city’s stance too harsh. The case has become a flashpoint in the ongoing debate over accountability and how police misconduct is punished.

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