Former RI State Police Trooper Who Allegedly Had Sex in Car, Involved in Fight and Road Rage

Former RI State Police Trooper Who Allegedly Had Sex in Car, Involved in Fight and Road Rage

Former Rhode Island State Police Lieutenant John Gadrow -- who was under suspension for allegedly having sex with a woman in his state police vehicle -- was recently involved in an episode with another man that started as road rage and led to a fight in a church parking lot.

In January, Gadrow retired from the State Police. He avoided firing or any significant disciplinary action and retired with a full state pension.

 

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New Incident - Driving Rage and Fight

According to a police report of the South Kingstown Police Department, shortly before 8 PM on Saturday, March 19, 2022, South Kingstown police officers were dispatched to the parking lot of the New Life Assembly Church on Post Road for a report of a possible physical altercation between two males.

According to the report, “The original calling party was a passerby, however, one of the male parties involved then contacted 911 stating that he was in the altercation and that the male he was fighting with pushed him and tried to choke him out.”

When officers arrived, they said they separated the two males and spoke with each individually. Gadrow told police he had been leaving his house out Tuckertown Road entering traffic behind the other male’s vehicle with his high beams on, and when he realized it, he corrected them to normal lighting while still behind the other vehicle.

Gadrow said the other vehicle pulled off to the side of the road, then pulled back on the road behind Gadrow’s vehicle and followed him into the parking lot of New Life Assembly, where Gadrow said he went “in order to meet a friend to exchange some paperwork.” 

According to police, Gadrow said when he realized the vehicle had followed him in, he got out of his car, went over to the other vehicle, and “engaged him verbally.” Gadrow told police the operator of the other vehicle — later identified as Gary Crawford, age 27 — got out and punched Gadrow in the eye. Gadrow said he then “took the male to the ground and held him there…until he confirmed he was calm.”

In his interview with police, Crawford said he had been traveling on Tuckertown Road when the vehicle behind him began “continually flashing his high beams” and Crawford believed the driver behind him thought he was going too slow, at which point he became “annoyed,” pulled over and then followed the other vehicle into the church parking lot.

Crawford told police at that point Gadrow approached his vehicle and told him to  “get out and talk;” Crawford said when he got out, Gadrow “shoved him against his car.” Crawford said he then punched Gadrow, who then “put him in a chokehold and took him to the ground.”

According to South Kingstown Police, at that time State Trooper Sgt. Gormley arrived on the scene as they were interviewing the two men about the incident. Police said they learned Gormley was the person Gadrow said he was supposed to meet to exchange paperwork.

“While speaking with Crawford, Gormley interjected and began questioning only Crawford [about the dispute with Gadrow] angering Crawford to the point where Crawford and Gormley were yelling at one another,” according to the South Kingstown police report. “Gormley then stated Crawford was going to get arrested for his involvement.”  

South Kingstown Police said they had to separate Gormley and Crawford and said they informed Gormley neither Crawford nor Gadrow wanted to press charges.

"All parties then eventually vacated the scene," said South Kingstown Police.

 

Sex in Cruiser

The episode in the cruiser was uncovered by Charlestown Police in February 2021 and was the subject of an internal affairs investigation by the State Police which began months after the incident.

In response to an email from GoLocal to the Rhode Island State Police in December and GoLocal’s assertion that refusal to provide information about Gadrow’s retirement was public record and not covered by the police officers' bill of rights, Colonel James Manni provided the following statement to GoLocal.

“Due to your email yesterday that the ‘agency dragged its feet to cover this up” and “we can go to lawyers now,” I, as the Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police, am compelled to defend the integrity of this agency against your attempts to distort the facts and not respect the law regarding public statements during the LEOBOR process," said Manni who has since announced his retirement from the State Police and has been appointed Town Administrator in South Kingstown.

Manni is a close personal friend of Gadrow and he refused to recuse himself from overseeing the investigation. According to multiple law enforcement officers both on the job now and recently retired, Manni and Gadrow are known to regularly hunt together and socialize.

“On October 15, 2021, another law enforcement agency notified the Rhode Island State Police of allegations of inappropriate on-duty conduct by a member of the agency.  The allegations regarded conduct from February 2021.  Immediately, within minutes upon being received, the allegations were brought to my attention and I, as Superintendent, ordered the Professional Standards Unit to open an investigation,” said Manni.

“This investigation was handled with the efficiency and professionalism expected in any Rhode Island State Police investigation.  At the end of the investigation, internal administrative charges were recommended and brought seeking termination of employment.  Rather than go through a LEOBOR hearing, the employee decided to voluntarily separate from employment effective January 16, 2022.  Because the voluntary separation will occur prior to when a LEOBOR panel would have even been selected by the parties, and provides certainty of the outcome to the agency, this outcome is satisfactory to the Rhode Island State Police. To state that the Rhode Island State Police dragged its feet to engage in a cover-up is maliciously false. This matter was treated in the same manner as every other internal affairs investigation and the separation of employment was secured much sooner than if it had proceeded to a LEOBOR hearing,” added Manni.

Prior to being placed on leave, Gadrow had been working on the State Police's so-called "Wolfpack" unit, in part federally funded, designed to enforce highway traffic laws. Gadrow had been the face of the State Police's program. He is the man appearing in photoshoots and conducts media interviews.

Manni had promoted Gadrow to the rank of Lieutenant on May 23, 2021 -- some three months after the alleged sex in car incident occurred.

It took the State Police more than a month to place Gadrow on suspension after the internal investigation. 

According to Rhode Island state records, Gadrow earned $149,445.92 annually.