Officers Wrest Concealed Dildo From DUI Suspect

WARWICK, RI — Warwick officers resorted to pepper spray and punches to wrest a concealed dildo from a Corvette driver suspected of DUI March 30 at 9:10 p.m., though they didn’t know that’s what he was reaching for.

According to Officer Zachary Coyne’s report, he and fellow officers received a call that night that a heavily intoxicated man, later identified as Tyler Hopkins, 40, of 98 Peerless St., Cranston, RI in a black Corvette, was in the parking lot revving the car’s engine.

Officers Michael Bailey and Joseph Dilorio were already there, speaking to the driver and knocking on the car to get him to get out of the Corvette. The man continued to rev the engine, causing it to jolt forward. During this time, Bailey reported seeing Hopkins reach into his waistband, raising concern about a weapon. He drew his sidearm and held it at low ready, alerting Dilorio to Hopkins possibly reaching for a weapon.

Hopkins opened the door to the car and asked why they were banging on it. Bailey asked Hopkins to get out, and he refused. Bailey and Coyle reached into the car to pull the man out.

As they did, Coyle reported, Hopkins reached for the officer’s sidearm, and Coyle immediately called for his fellow officers to use pepper spray to deter the driver, according to the officer’s report. Bailey also reported that Hopkins told them, “Don’t f**king grab me, bro,” and batted his arm away, grabbing onto the steering wheel and resisting, “with unusual strength,” according to the officer’s report.

Bailey, concerned that the car was running and a danger to the officers, grabbed Hopkins by the hair in an attempt to remove him from the car. He was not successful, so he struck Hopkins twice in the face, then used pepper spray on his face, getting some in his own eyes, blurring his vision.

Bailey, Coyne and Dilorio continued to struggle with Hopkins, during which Bailey struck him in the face twice with his knee accidentally due to the pepper spray in his eyes, then twice in the face with his fist as the other two officers struggled to get Hopkins’ hands under control.

Once the officers managed to handcuff Hopkins, Bailey stood to wipe the spray out of his eyes as Coyne and Dilorio searched Hopkins. Bailey saw the officers remove a peach-colored, concealed dildo/penis replica from inside Hopkins’ pants.

“I observed what appeared to be a flesh-colored and anatomically correct rubber replica of a male penis emerging from Hopkins’ waistband. Carefully using my boot, I pushed the rubber replica out of Hopkins’ pants.”

When he saw the no-longer concealed dildo, “I kicked it away from his person for officer safety.”

Bailey asked Hopkins if he had intended to drive away while revving his engine, to which he replied, “Yea.”

Warwick Rescue responded to treat Hopkins for his injuries. He remained extremely combative, and Bailey reported he had to forcibly place the man on the stretcher. He was transported to Kent Hospital, repeatedly trying to break out of the handcuffs, where he continued to act aggressively with hospital personnel, and also to break the hospital restraints to attack Bailey, according to the report. Bailey gave up on reading him the consent form for a breath test, and told him he would be charged with refusing it.

Bailey returned to Warwick Police Headquarters, 99 Veterans Memorial Drive, where  he charged Hopkins with DUI, blood alcohol unknown, resisting arrest, and refusing to submit to a chemical test.

Hopkins was scheduled for an alternative sentencing hearing in Third District Court April 12, and released on $5,000 surety and $1,000 personal recognizance. He was later scheduled for a status conference May 31.