Five-year felony proposed for disarming Rhode Island officers

In Rhode Island, lawmakers are drawing a hard line around one of the most dangerous moments in a police encounter: trying to take away the tools an officer is using in the moment. The proposal would make it a felony to knowingly remove, or try to remove, a firearm, deadly weapon or less-lethal weapon from a peace officer or an investigator appointed by the attorney general.

It would also cover the devices officers use to call for help and keep working. Knowingly depriving, or trying to deprive, a covered officer of a mobile communication device or radio used in official duty would fall under the same offense. The act would take effect upon passage.

What counts as disarming

The bill is not limited to guns. It defines less-lethal weapons broadly enough to include blunt-impact, chemical and conducted-energy devices, which means the law reaches more of the equipment officers may rely on during a confrontation.

A failed attempt would still count. The offense is written to cover both successful removal and an effort that is interrupted before the item comes free.

The penalty on top

The new crime would carry up to five years in prison and/or a $5,000 fine. That is a separate punishment for a specific kind of interference, not a rewrite of Rhode Island’s broader weapons laws.

The practical effect is simple: a struggle over an officer’s weapon or communication gear would no longer sit in a legal gray area. The bill gives prosecutors a clear felony charge for conduct that can turn a routine stop or arrest into an emergency in seconds.