Providence police sergeant retires amid review of Sayles St. incident

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) – Sergeant Gregory Paolo put in for retirement Thursday morning amid a review of his and other officers’ behavior during an incident on Sayles St. last week.

Providence Police Commissioner Steven Pare confirmed Sgt. Paolo was placed on administrative leave last weekend as the department is reviewing body camera footage of the incident.

Sgt. Paolo is a veteran of the force, and was fully vested in his pension upon his request for retirement.

In body camera footage released last week, Sgt. Paolo can be heard calling one of the women at the scene a “she-male.”

Providence police responded to a call on Sayles St. that two groups of people were fighting “out of control.” Five people were arrested.

At a press conference three days later, Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza said while most of the officers acted “professionally” to deescalate the situation, some of the officers used “inappropriate language.”

The families of those involved in the incident claimed the officers beat them with batons and pepper-sprayed children.

The incident remains under investigation.