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4/8/2026
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Senate passes Chairman DiPalma’s bill that makes disarming a police officer a felony
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STATE HOUSE – The Senate yesterday passed legislation sponsored by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Louis P. DiPalma that would make it a felony to disarm, or attempt to disarm, a police officer.
“Disarming, or attempting to disarm, a law enforcement officer is about as serious and dangerous as a situation can get. There needs to be strict consequences for an action that poses such grave harm to law enforcement officers, civilians and to those engaged with the police at the time of the incident,” said Chairman DiPalma (D-Dist. 12, Middletown, Little Compton, Newport, Tiverton).
The bill (2026-S 2292) states that any person who knowingly removes or attempts to remove a firearm, deadly weapon, or less-lethal weapon, or knowingly deprives or attempts to deprive the use of a mobile communication device or radio used in the performance of official duty, from the person of a peace officer, or investigator of the Department of the Attorney General, will have committed a felony, and shall be imprisoned not less than one year and nor more than five years.
The legislation now heads to the House for consideration, where Rep. Earl A. Read III (D-Dist. 26, Coventry, West Warwick, Warwick) has introduced the legislation (2026-H 7753).
For more information, contact:
Andrew Caruolo, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401)222-6124
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