WPRO News and the Associated Press
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Providence’s famous dancing cop says he has been fired from directing holiday traffic for organizing a protest over the appearance of a “#blacklivesmatter” hashtag on another police officer’s coffee cup at a Federal Hill Dunkin’ Donuts.
Tony Lepore met with police officials Tuesday. Lepore, a former police officer, led a small protest in October.
He says he was told by police officials he met with on Tuesday that community groups were upset and he wouldn’t be rehired. The 68-year-old retired from Providence Police Department in 1989 and was then hired by the city to direct downtown traffic each holiday season. He’s known for his dance moves and has appeared on national television shows.
“I’m very insulted after all I’ve done for the city,” Lepore told WPRO’s Buddy Cianci on Tuesday afternoon.
Police Commissioner Steven Pare says Lepore gave the inaccurate impression he represented the department.
The 68-year-old Lepore began injecting dance moves into his police work in 1984 while directing traffic in downtown Providence.
He says his supporters are comparing the mayor to the Grinch.
Lepore posted on his Facebook page on Tuesday:
I had a meeting with the Police Commission and the Chief today at 11am. They degraded all the work I did for the street cops, and the work I did for the city for 30 yrs. They said it didn`t matter. Their concern wasn`t about the street cop they were concerned about the the community leaders. They said their phones rang off the hooks the week of the boycott. It was of course the politicial community leaders. Our petition meant nothing. I told them both that they would get backlash from this, and they said they`re ready. Some people are political puppets. The don`t care about the men in the street. They care about the political agenda. This is the difference between men and mice. They had a nerve to ask me to turn in my uniforms which I have always paid for. I don`t want to have anything to do with the Providence Police Patch. I will design my own, and I hope the people of R. I. will stand behind so that I can continue serving the community as a performer. I will stand behind my actions, and I would do it again. It`s about the men in the street not the puppets.
Lepore spoke about his removal with WPRO’s Buddy Cianci, along with GoLocalProv’s Kate Nagle, who originally broke the story, on Tuesday afternoon.
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