WARWICK −A former Rhode Island state police sergeant appeared in District Court Tuesday, July 29, to face a charge of reckless driving.
The charge itself, which also accuses Nuno M. Vasconcelos of “other offenses against public safety,” stems from events that took place in late March, according to an online court record. Vasconcelos was still a sergeant at that time.
WPRI first reported on July 29 that state troopers responded to 911 calls placed March 23 about an erratic driver on I-295 in Cranston. That driver was Vasconcelos.
From there, the story gets murkier. State police spokesman Lt. Col. Robert Creamer told WPRI that commanders are “disappointed with the response to the incident that night and the lack of appropriate guidance and supervision.”
“It did not meet the expectations of the Rhode Island State Police,” Creamer said in a statement obtained by The Providence Journal.
Vasconcelos was a sergeant at the time of the incident. The offense date in court records is March 23.
Vasconcelos was “put on administrative leave when members of the Command Staff learned of the incident,” Creamer said.
He retired on May 5. His tenure with state police was 20 years, Creamer said.
The particular charges of reckless driving and obstructing an officer are misdemeanors.
Judge Patrick J. O’Neill released Vasconcelos on personal recognizance.
This is a developing story.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RI state police charge sergeant with reckless driving months later
