Donnelly-Taylor and O'Donnell: 19 Who Made a Difference in 2019

Donnelly-Taylor and O'Donnell: 19 Who Made a Difference in 2019

The Rhode Island State Police's Steven O'Donnell met a 13-year-old Jamie Donnelly-Taylor and quickly became a mentor to him. They bonded through youth and high school lacrosse. O'Donnell has been the varsity lacrosse coach at La Salle Academy for nearly two decades.

O'Donnell helped Donnelly-Taylor join the State Police. The two are now inextricably linked.

Donnelly-Taylor and O'Donnell were involved in a series of incidents that have, in part, changed the State Police forever.

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Donnelly-Taylor was involved in a shooting and within days ordered back to work by then-Superintendent of the State Police O'Donnell. Despite protocols for him to have taken time off, he was forced back.

Just three weeks later, Donnelly-Taylor was involved with a physical incident with a detainee Lionel Monsanto. 

Now, Rhode Island State Police Colonel Jim Manni has fired Donnelly-Taylor. The man who has been in the center of a number of State Police incidents and has been the whistleblower on issues that led to a series of third-party investigations has been dismissed.

The firing is expected to trigger a number of lawsuits.

Manni, just a few weeks on the job as head of the State Police, seemed to tip his hand that he was gunning for Donnelly-Taylor. When ordered by the court to release a video involving an incident between Donnelly-Taylor and Monsanto, Manni said in July 2019 that he would have fired Donnelly-Taylor for his role in the incident.

In a letter to Donnelly-Taylor Manni wrote, “After due consideration, I have decided that you should be removed from the ranks of the members of the division for non-disciplinary reasons. Your removal is effective December 14, 2019."

O'Donnell Blamed

The former Chief Legal Counsel at the Rhode Island State Police spoke out recently and blamed O’Donnell for the decline of the agency’s morale.

In a series of social media posts, Lisa Holley squarely blamed O'Donnell for the decline at the agency.

“[You] can’t blame Colonel Assumpico solely for this mess. She inherited it. Morale tanked with O’Donnell,” wrote Holley on Facebook, in response to comments on the GoLocal article, "The 'Proud' RI State Police Are Facing Significant Challenges — It Is Not the First Time."

Assumpico was O’Donnell’s successor and served roughly two years as head of the State Police, and worked to address a number of issues that emerged under O’Donnell’s reign, including a highly criticized 38 Studios investigation and the handling of the Donnelly-Taylor incident with a State Police detainee Monsanto.

Her tenure overlapped both the command of Brendan Doherty and O’Donnell.

Promises. Promises.

According to a sworn affidavit by former Speaker of the House and Donnelly-Taylor’s attorney John Harwood, O’Donnell told Harwood and Donnelly-Taylor that he would indemnify Donnelly-Taylor from any legal action from the Monsanto incident.

In Harwood’s affidavit he swore, “Prior to entering the Plea, we had discussions with the Rhode Island State Police Col. Steven O'Donnell about whether or not Trooper Donnelly-Taylor should accept a plea or go to trial. Col. O'Donnell told me on the phone and in person that he did not want Trooper Donnelly-Taylor to go to trial because of a tape that would embarrass the State Police; It should be noted that Trooper Donnelly-Taylor had a strong personal relationship with Col. O'Donnell in the lacrosse world as well as when he graduated from the Rhode Island State Police Training Academy.”

At a meeting at the Panera Bread shop in Cranston, Harwood says O’Donnell promised that the State Police would indemnify Donnelly-Taylor from any civil lawsuits relating to the Monsanto incident.

“Specifically, Col. O'Donnell, Trooper Donnelly-Taylor and I met at Panera Bread located in Cranston...where the Colonel indicated to Trooper Donnelly-Taylor that a plea would benefit the Rhode Island State Police in that if the tape disclosed could possibly be embarrassing,” said Harwood in his affidavit.

"After meeting at Panera Bread but prior to the plea, Trooper Donnelly-Taylor and myself called Col. O'Donnell to make sure that his assurance that Trooper Donnelly­Taylor would be indemnified by the Rhode Island State Police for any civil liability. Col. O'Donnell clearly assured us that if we entered a plea for the said misdemeanor charge that Trooper Donnelly-Taylor would not need to worry about being indemnified for civil liability,” added Harwood.

In a question during a deposition relating to one of the lawsuits tied to the Monsanto and Donnelly-Taylor incident, the lawyer for Donnelly-Taylor asked O’Donnell the following:

Question: When you told these people [other top troopers] that you were going to support the troopers in every way possible, did you have an understanding that some of them might not be indemnified?

Answer by O’Donnell: Indemnification never came up, ever.

Question: It didn't come up at all?

Answer by O’Donnell: Those words never came up.

Question: Now, you mentioned to Mr. Caron that you talked to John Harwood?

Answer by O’Donnell: I did.

O’Donnell describes in detail a phone conversation between himself with other members of the command staff with Harwood in which the issue of indemnification was discussed. But O'Donnell is unclear about the details between himself, Harwood and Donnelly-Taylor at the Panera Bread the morning of Donnelly-Taylor’s plea.

In the deposition, O’Donnell does not support Harwood’s assertions.

Question: Did you talk to Attorney Harwood the morning that Trooper Taylor took the plea?

Answer by O’Donnell: I don't know, it's possible. I don't know.

Question: Did you call him on your cell phone?

Brief break requested by O’Donnell’s attorney

Answer O’Donnell: I don't know. I have no idea.

Question Is it possible that you used other words or terms -- let me ask you a better question. Is it possible that you used terms or words other than "support" during your conversations with Trooper Taylor and Attorney Harwood regarding how you would help him if he was sued civilly?

Answer O’Donnell: It's possible.

Question: Did you ever say that he would be covered?

Answered O’Donnell: It's possible.

Question: Did you ever say that he wouldn't have to worry about defending himself or paying a judgment if he was sued?

Answer O’Donnell: I don't remember saying that.

Ultimately, the State Police did not indemnify Donnelly-Taylor -- leading to a series of legal actions. The ramifications continue today.