Whistleblower State Trooper Donnelly-Taylor, Was Involved in Monsanto Incident, Fired By Col. Manni
Saturday, December 14, 2019
Rhode Island State Police Colonel Jim Manni has fired Trooper James Donnelly-Taylor. The man who has been in the center of a number of State Police incidents and has been the whistleblower on issues that have led to a series of third-party investigations has been dismissed.
The firing is expected to trigger a number of lawsuits.
Manni, just a few weeks on the job as head of the State Police, seemed to tip his hand that he was gunning for Donnelly-Taylor. When ordered by the court to release a video involving an incident between Donnelly-Taylor and Lionel Monsanto, Manni said in July of 2019 that he would have fired Donnelly-Taylor for his role in the incident.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTManni is facing a number of controversies including a discrimination complaint filed by recently retired Captain Gerald McKinney. Read McKinney's complain here.
In a letter to Donnelly-Taylor Manni wrote, “After due consideration, I have decided that you should be removed from the ranks of the members of the division for non-disciplinary reasons. Your removal is effective December 14, 2019."
Manni’s letter states, "As you are aware, on October 17, 2019, I denied your request for a disability pension. In the process of doing so, I found that you had proven as fact that you 'suffered injury causing disability' based upon your being diagnosed by a duly qualified psychiatrist with 'major depressive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)' and being found by that psychiatrist 'not able to perform his previous duties with the Rhode Island State Police.'
Furthermore, I also found that you had proven as fact that your disability was permanent based upon your psychiatrist's finding that '[g]iven the chronicity of his symptoms, I consider him to be medically disabled from his prior work capacity.' However, because your disabling injury was traceable to your criminal assault on Mr. Monsanto rather than to your arrest of Mr. Monsanto, I found that it was not suffered 'in the course of performance of [your] ... duties' and thus denied your request for a disability pension."
The Monsanto incident has been at the forefront a rift within the Rhode Island State Police for years.
Donnelly-Taylor tells GoLocal, "I have been 100% committed to public service and the Rhode Island State Police. When a politician, political appointee and/or an organization such as the Rhode Island State Police put politics, and reputation, before the safety and well-being of its members, that should give everyone cause for concern. I will continue to fight for me, and my family, and exhaust all legal options."
Donnelly-Tayor Involved in Shooting and Forced Back to Work, January 28, 2014
On a late winter night, Donnelly-Taylor was involved in a shooting incident -- less than a month before the infamous confrontation with Monsanto.
After the shooting, Donnelly-Taylor was ordered immediately back to work.
One former member of the State Police command staff told GoLocal, “There is no police department in America that would allow an officer to come back to work right after being involved in a shooting.”
According to multiple State Police sources, Donnelly-Taylor was responding to an incident at the University Heights parking lot in Providence near the McDonald’s, and a suspect drove his car directly at Donnelly-Taylor and he fired one shot through the front window of the vehicle. The incident took place on January 28, 2014.
The shooting was found to be appropriate by the Rhode Island Attorney General’s office. “A multi-agency investigation, led by the Providence Police Department, began immediately after the shooting. Based upon the results of the investigation, it has been determined that it is not necessary to present this matter to a grand jury for review. Instead, the facts and circumstances were reviewed by this Department and no further investigation is required,” wrote the Attorney General’s office to O’Donnell, dated September 2, 2014 — eight months after the University Heights shooting.
Pursuant to State Police procedure, Donnelly-Taylor should have been placed on administrative leave, but then-Colonel O’Donnell kept Donnelly-Taylor on the job and was he was never offered psychological services nor a psychological assessment, according to Donnelly-Taylor and confirmed by other members of the State Police with direct knowledge.
Just three days after the shooting, Donnelly-Taylor was back at work — well before the Attorney General found that the shooting was justified.
O’Donnell refused to respond to questions as to why Donnelly-Taylor was not placed on administrative leave. O’Donnell said in an email to GoLocal, “It’s impossible to respond to a point by point inquiry without access to records. As mentioned earlier, four separate courts of record have reviewed the entire litigation and all came to the same conclusion.”
Donnelly-Taylor and Monsanto Incident, February 26, 2014
A video of a physical incident between Donnelly-Taylor and Monsanto has been seen by much of Rhode Island. Donnelly-Taylor’s reaction to Monsanto’s threat was found to be reasonable based on an expert's report unveiled by GoLocal last month.
It found, “Donnelly-Taylor’s actions taken up to the point – pushing Monsanto into the cell to clear space and delivering 6 or 7 closed fist strikes – to address a perceived threat – were reasonable based on industry standards, Donnelly-Taylor’s training, and RISP policy and procedure,” according to the Daigle report contracted by the Rhode Island State Police and the Rhode Island Attorney General. Many community leaders and minority police leaders have condemned the incident. The Daigle report caused approximately $30,000 according to state records.
Others were more critical, “The time in processing appeared to be a fairly routine procedure. It obviously became much more problematic when he was taken to the holding cell,” Lieutenant Charles P. Wilson, the National Chairman of National Association of Black Law Enforcement Officers told GoLocal after the release of the tape.
“Actions such as those exhibited have no place in professional law enforcement. They serve no useful purpose. They are, in my opinion, illegal and merit investigation as a civil rights violation. It is unlikely, however, that the justice department in the current administration will consider it as such,” said Wilson.
GoLocal has learned that after the Monsanto incident, Donnelly-Taylor was never interviewed at any time by any State Police officials.
O'Donnell Promised to Indemnify Donnelly-Taylor, Swears Former Speaker of the House Harwood, June 23, 2014
According to a sworn affidavit by former Speaker of the House and Donnelly-Taylor’s attorney John Harwood, O’Donnell told Harwood and Donnelly-Taylor that he would indemnify Donnelly-Taylor from any legal action from the Monsanto incident.
In Harwood’s affidavit he swore, “Prior to entering the Plea, we had discussions with the Rhode Island State Police Col. Steven O'Donnell about whether or not Trooper Donnelly-Taylor should accept a plea or go to trial. Col. O'Donnell told me on the phone and in person that he did not want Trooper Donnelly-Taylor to go to trial because of a tape that would embarrass the State Police; It should be noted that Trooper Donnelly-Taylor had a strong personal relationship with Col. O'Donnell in the lacrosse world as well as when he graduated from the Rhode Island State Police Training Academy.”
At a meeting at the Panera Bread shop in Cranston, Harwood says O’Donnell promised that the State Police would indemnify Donnelly-Taylor from any civil lawsuits relating to the Monsanto incident.
“Specifically, Col. O'Donnell, Trooper Donnelly-Taylor and I met at Panera Bread located in Cranston...where the Colonel indicated to Trooper Donnelly-Taylor that a plea would benefit the Rhode Island State Police in that if the tape disclosed could possibly be embarrassing,” said Harwood in his affidavit.
"After meeting at Panera Bread but prior to the plea, Trooper Donnelly-Taylor and myself called Col. O'Donnell to make sure that his assurance that Trooper DonnellyTaylor would be indemnified by the Rhode Island State Police for any civil liability. Col. O'Donnell clearly assured us that if we entered a plea for the said misdemeanor charge that Trooper Donnelly-Taylor would not need to worry about being indemnified for civil liability,” added Harwood.
In a question during a deposition relating to one of the lawsuits tied to the Monsanto and Donnelly-Taylor incident, the lawyer for Donnelly-Taylor asked O’Donnell the following:
Question: When you told these people [other top troopers] that you were going to support the troopers in every way possible, did you have an understanding that some of them might not be indemnified?
Answer by O’Donnell: Indemnification never came up, ever.
Question: It didn't come up at all?
Answer by O’Donnell: Those words never came up.
Question: Now, you mentioned to Mr. Caron that you talked to John Harwood?
Answer by O’Donnell: I did.
O’Donnell describes in detail a phone conversation between himself with other members of the command staff with Harwood in which the issue of indemnification was discussed. But O'Donnell is unclear about the details between himself, Harwood and Donnelly-Taylor at the Panera Bread the morning of Donnelly-Taylor’s plea.
In the deposition, O’Donnell does not support Harwood’s assertions.
Question: Did you talk to Attorney Harwood the morning that Trooper Taylor took the plea?
Answer by O’Donnell: I don't know, it's possible. I don't know.
Question: Did you call him on your cell phone?
Brief break requested by O’Donnell’s attorney
Answer O’Donnell: I don't know. I have no idea.
Question Is it possible that you used other words or terms -- let me ask you a better question. Is it possible that you used terms or words other than "support" during your conversations with Trooper Taylor and Attorney Harwood regarding how you would help him if he was sued civilly?
Answer O’Donnell: It's possible.
Question: Did you ever say that he would be covered?
Answered O’Donnell: It's possible.
Question: Did you ever say that he wouldn't have to worry about defending himself or paying a judgment if he was sued?
Answer O’Donnell: I don't remember saying that.
Ultimately, the State Police did not indemnify Donnelly-Taylor -- leading to a series of legal actions. The ramifications continue today.
Former Chief Legal Council Alleges Criminal Behavior in the State Police and Cover-Up by Superintendent Steven O'Donnell Memo Dated: June 5, 2017
Lisa Holley, who served as Chief Legal Counsel under both State Police Superintendent Brendan Doherty and Steven O'Donnell, warned a top law enforcement consultant -- hired by the State of Rhode Island -- of specific examples of improper payments, misuse of federal funds, and the hazing of recruits resulting in an adverse impact on minority recruits in the Rhode Island State Police.
Consultant Terry Gainer was hired by the administration of Governor Gina Raimondo to do an assessment of the Rhode Island State Police. The no-bid contract paid Gainer and his team of top law enforcement experts $225,000 in 2017, according to state records.
According to an email sent by Gainer to top officials at the Rhode Island State Police, he conducted a phone interview with former State Police Chief Legal Counsel Lisa Holley, who volunteered facts indicating malfeasance and potentially criminal behavior by State Police officials. Gainer wrote that his report was the “essence but not verbatim” of Holley’s statements.
Daigle Report -- RI State Police and RI Attorney General Pay $30,000 to Investigate Monsanto and Donnelly-Taylor Incident, Report Filed April 2, 2018
On October 25, 2019, GoLocal published a copy of the Daigle report and a recording of a telephone conversation between three of the top members of the Rhode Island State Police (RISP) command staff including the former Superintendent as well as Rhode Island State Trooper Jamie Donnelly-Taylor on the call.
On the phone call, Donnelly-Taylor outlines allegations of cover-ups and charges of political influence at the highest level of the State Police. He was highly critical of the Department’s handling of his case -- and unveiled the existence of a never-before disclosed report conducted by a third party expert. According to state payment records, Daigle Law Group, LLC was paid approximately $30,000 in 2018 by the Department of Public Safety.
