It hasn’t been a good few days Tony Lepore, Providence’s famous dancing cop. First Tony was told by Chief Hugh T. Clements Jr. and Police Commissioner Steven M. Paré that his services were no longer needed.
And now just days after being hired by East Providence, the Providence Journal reports:
East Providence has pulled the plug on ‘Dancing Cop’ Tony Lepore’s musical holiday act, making it the second city to do so in just over a week.
The City Council has removed the hiring of Lepore from Tuesday night’s docket and he will no longer be invited to dance and direct holiday traffic in the city, East Providence City Manager Richard Kirby told The Journal Tuesday morning.
“The mayor [Thomas Rose] indicated that he had other conversations with members of the council, and they will not be going through with it,” Kirby said in a telephone interview.
Lepore has been embroiled in controversy following his outspoken comments after a Dunkin’ Donuts worker wrote #BlackLivesMatter on a police officer’s cup and after Providence fired him, a group formed to battle him in East Providence and successfully stopped his debut performance.
East Providence Mayor Thomas Rose was the only member of the council who supported hiring Lepore. Councilors Robert Britton, Helder Cunha, Timothy Conley, and Tracy Capobianco were all opposed.
Councilman Timothy Conley said, “I certainly don’t share his views and I think he will get the city in the news for all the wrong reasons.”
Tony Lepore plans to head to East Providence Hall to speak his piece.
