Police & Fire

by Janine L. Weisman and Christopher Shea, Rhode Island Current October 6, 2026 DNA evidence collected by a special investigative unit within the Rhode Island Office of Attorney General has led to an arrest in the 1985 murder of a 22-year-old Jamestown woman in Newport.It’s a case with special meaning for Attorney General Peter Neronha, […]

Four people were arrested and 24 citations issued during a multi-agency law enforcement operation at the 2026 Aquapalooza event held Saturday at Potter’s Cove, the Portsmouth Police Department announced Monday. Officers arrested Robinson Alves, 23, of Fall River, Mass., and Justin Taymes, 39, also of Fall River, each on charges of operating a watercraft while […]

The Newport Police Department has announced a parking ban for Saturday, July 4, to ease traffic congestion around the city’s annual fireworks display. No parking will be allowed on West Narragansett Avenue between Thames Street and Marchant Street; Washington Street between Bridge Street and Gladys Carr Bolhouse Road (the Causeway); and Memorial Boulevard from Bellevue […]

A 28-year-old North Kingstown man died in a single-motorcycle crash on Route 1 on Tuesday night, the South Kingstown Police Department said. Officers responded at about 10:15 p.m. on June 16 to a report of a motorcycle crash on Route 1 northbound, south of Torrey Road. They found a single motorcycle involved in the crash, and […]

A woman in the custody of the Jamestown Police Department escaped from Newport Hospital on Monday morning after slipping out of her handcuffs, according to a statement from the department. At approximately 8:20 a.m., the woman reported feeling ill while officers were preparing to transport her to Newport District Court for an arraignment on a […]

Updated Feb. 6 at 3:25 p.m. The Newport Restaurant Group said Friday afternoon that damage from the overnight fire at Castle Hill Inn was “significant” but expressed confidence that the iconic Ocean Drive property would be restored. “We are in the process of assessing the damage from last night’s fire. While significant, we are confident […]

Tiverton fire and police responded Tuesday afternoon to the Route 24 southbound on-ramp from Main Road for a reported vehicle fire that turned out to be a 12-foot underwater drone on a trailer. Crews arrived at approximately 2:53 p.m. and found the drone actively on fire, according to a press release from the Tiverton Fire […]

By MICHAEL CASEY, RODRIQUE NGOWI and PATRICK WHITTLE Associated Press GLOUCESTER, Mass. (AP) — The search for survivors on a commercial fishing vessel that sank off the coast of Massachusetts with seven aboard has been suspended, the U.S. Coast Guard said Saturday. The Coast Guard launched a search and rescue mission early Friday after receiving […]

A father and son were arrested Thursday morning on charges related to a sexual assault investigation, according to the Middletown Police Department. Members of the Middletown Police Department, with assistance from the Rhode Island State Police Violent Fugitive Task Force, executed a court-authorized search warrant at 33 Beacon St. at approximately 6:30 a.m. as part […]

WESTERLY, R.I. (AP) — A yellow Labrador out for a walk with his owner in Rhode Island had to be rescued by firefighters on New Year’s Day after he wandered onto a thin layer of ice covering a pond and fell through the center. According to the Misquamicut Fire Department, volunteer firefighters and other emergency […]

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Information from a tipster who had a strange encounter with another man on a sidewalk outside Brown University was key to police identifying the suspect they believe killed two students at the school and then two days later gunned down a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor. Known only as “John” in a Providence […]

By KIMBERLEE KRUESI, ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and ERIC TUCKER Associated Press PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Authorities said Thursday that they’re looking into a connection between last weekend’s mass shooting at Brown University and an attack two days later near Boston that killed a professor at another elite school, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. That is according to […]

By PATRICK WHITTLE and LEAH WILLINGHAM Associated Press PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — With the Brown University shooter still on the loose Tuesday, authorities released new video of a suspect and police fanned out to Providence schools to reassure parents, kids and teachers as investigators pushed for new evidence that might help them crack the case. Here’s a […]

By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH and KATHY McCORMACK Associated Press A makeshift shrine of flowers and condolence cards has gone up outside of the Brown University building where a gunman killed two students and wounded nine others, with the Ivy League school and surrounding community trying to make sense of the tragedy. As investigators pursue clues about the gunman, who remained at […]

By KIMBERLEE KRUESI and LEAH WILLINGHAM Associated Press PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Additional police were sent to Providence schools on Tuesday to reassure worried parents that their kids will be safe even with the Brown University shooter on the loose and no indication yet that investigators have zeroed in on a suspect. Authorities on Monday released several new […]

An 18-year-old Fall River man has been charged with driving to endanger resulting in serious bodily injury after a rollover crash Friday night left a juvenile passenger with life-threatening injuries, Portsmouth police announced Monday. Michael A. Montanez Verdejo was arrested Saturday in connection with the single-vehicle crash on Route 24 North near Cedar Island that […]

A North Kingstown man was arrested early Tuesday morning after police say he crashed his vehicle into a local coffee shop while driving under the influence. Mark A. DeLong, 30, of Great Neck Road, was taken into custody at approximately 1:25 a.m. after his 2025 Tesla struck TLC Coffee Roasters at 3362 Kingstown Road in […]

Law enforcement agencies across Rhode Island arrested 54 people for driving under the influence during the Thanksgiving holiday period, according to the Rhode Island Police Chiefs Association. The arrests occurred between noon on Nov. 26 and 6 a.m. on Dec. 1, representing the combined efforts of all 38 municipal police departments and the Rhode Island […]

Newport police arrested a teenager Friday in connection with an assault on a special needs student at Rogers High School, and district officials announced they are ending the football season immediately following the incident. Superintendent Colleen Burns Jermain said in a letter to families Friday that the district became aware late Thursday evening of a […]

GOSNOLD, Mass. (AP) — Three family members who swam to a private island when their boat caught fire and sank were rescued two days later after their marine radio washed ashore. “Mayday, mayday, mayday! Our ship went down in Tarpaulin’s Cove!” Tyler Sullivan told a Coast Guard dispatcher early Wednesday morning. “Our ship burned while […]

A 21-year-old victim is in critical condition at Rhode Island Hospital following an assault Friday morning on Carey Street, according to Newport police. Officers responded to 24 Carey Street at about 11:30 a.m. for a report of a possible assault, Lt. Joseph C. Carroll said in a statement. When officers arrived, they found a 21-year-old […]

A military projectile discovered in the basement of a local business was safely detonated off-site after prompting evacuations Thursday morning, according to the Tiverton Police Department. Police and fire personnel responded to 2490 Main Road at approximately 8:32 a.m. Thursday following a report of a potential explosive device in the basement of the business, police […]

Police departments in Middletown, Newport and Portsmouth achieved their goal of zero roadway fatalities during a coordinated summer traffic safety initiative, officials announced Tuesday. Operation Safe Summer 2025, which ran from July 4 through Sept. 1, resulted in 4,042 traffic stops and 61 arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs across the […]

A 47-year-old Middletown woman suffered serious injuries Wednesday afternoon when her bicycle collided with a motor vehicle on Greene Lane, according to police. The collision occurred around 4:00 p.m. near 92 Greene Lane, prompting responses from both Middletown Police and Fire departments. Emergency responders found the female cyclist with serious injuries at the scene. Middletown […]

Law enforcement agencies across Rhode Island arrested 59 people for driving under the influence during the Labor Day holiday weekend, according to the Rhode Island Police Chiefs Association. The arrests occurred between noon Friday, Aug. 29, and 6 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 2, representing a coordinated effort by all 38 municipal police departments and Rhode Island […]

Since the initial reports of Special Assistant Attorney General Devon Hogan Flanagan’s arrest at The Clarke Cooke House, several new developments have surfaced that provide additional context to the Aug. 14 incident. Arrest details from police records According to the Newport Police Department’s arrest blotter, both Flanagan (identified as Devon F. Hogan, 34, of Warwick) […]

JAMESTOWN, R.I. — The body found washed ashore near Heads Beach has been identified as a white male between 60 and 70 years old, with no signs of foul play, Jamestown police said Monday. The Jamestown Police Department, working with Rhode Island State Police, provided an update nine days after a swimmer discovered the unidentified […]

JAMESTOWN, R.I. — Police are investigating after an unidentified body washed ashore near Heads Beach off Seaside Drive on Sunday morning. The Jamestown Police and Fire departments responded to the scene at approximately 7:36 a.m. after a swimmer reported finding the body and contacted authorities. The Rhode Island State Police, Department of Environmental Management and […]

The Newport Police Department is warning residents about a phone scam in which callers impersonate police officers using actual names from the department to deceive victims into purchasing gift cards or bitcoin. According to a news release issued Saturday by Lt. Joseph C. Carroll, the department’s public information officer, scammers are identifying themselves as Newport […]

A 35-year-old Massachusetts woman was arrested Saturday after police found her 15-month-old infant left alone in an unlocked vehicle at Bally’s Tiverton Casino. The Tiverton Police Department responded to the casino at approximately 7:00 a.m. on July 12 following a report of an unattended infant in a vehicle. Officers, working alongside casino security personnel, located a […]

The Newport Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance in identifying a motorcyclist involved in a hit-and-run incident that occurred on Independence Day. According to a social media post from the Newport Police Department on Friday, July 11, the crash happened around 10 p.m. on Thames Street at the intersection of Thames and Wellington […]

What began as a routine shoplifting investigation at a Thames Street store has led to the arrest of two Massachusetts residents and the seizure of over $100,000 worth of stolen merchandise, Newport Police announced today. The case started on May 26, 2025, when patrol officers responded to Team One Newport at 561 Thames Street for […]

Law enforcement agencies across Rhode Island arrested 57 individuals for driving under the influence during the Fourth of July holiday weekend, according to the Rhode Island Police Chiefs Association. The arrests were made between 12 p.m. on July 3, 2025, and 6 a.m. on July 6, 2025, representing the combined efforts of all 38 municipal […]

Portsmouth firefighters successfully contained a brush fire on Anthony Road Monday morning, preventing it from spreading to nearby homes. At 11:13 a.m., Portsmouth Fire Department crews responded to Anthony Road in the Common Fence Point neighborhood for a reported brush fire. Upon arrival, firefighters were able to quickly contain the blaze before it could reach […]