EAST PROVIDENCE — The City of East Providence has hired the renowned “Dancing Cop” just days after he was fired by Providence for getting caught up in a controversy involving the Black Lives Matter movement.
Tony Lepore, the former Providence Police officer who has gained world-wide fame for his traffic control routine, will make his debut in city Sunday, Nov. 29, for the annual Crescent Park Looff Carousel tree lighting event from 2 to 6 p.m.
City Council President and Mayor Tommy Rose announced Mr. Lepore’s hiring on Friday, Nov. 27. For the rest of his time in East Providence, he will direct traffic in front of City Hall on Taunton Avenue from December 10 through Christmas Eve.
Mr. Lepore was fired by Providence for expressing his views about a recent incident at a Dunkin Donuts in the Capital City, where an employee wrote the #blacklivesmatter on the cup of a Providence Police officer who was purchasing coffee. A couple of similar recent events involving supporters of the movement and police have sparked controversy.
“All he did was write ‘all lives matter’ on Facebook,” Mr. Rose said in support of Mr. Lepore. “Myself and other members of the Council feel comfortable about bringing him in. I don’t think he did anything wrong.”
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