'Dancing Cop' says he was fired over Black Lives Matter protest

Tony Lepore has been mixing dancing with traffic control since 1984 but this year he has been relieved of his duties

"Dancing cop" Tony Lepore on the job (Getty)

Providence’s famous “Dancing Cop,” Tony Lepore, told the Associated Press that he was fired Tuesday from his annual gig directing traffic after organizing a protest against a Black Lives Matter supporter last month.

For years, Lepore stopped traffic with his dance moves.

The retired police officer has been dancing on the streets he patrolled since 1984. His moves were an energetic mix of exaggerated hand gestures, hip-swinging and whistle-blowing — all executed while he simultaneously fulfilled his role of directing traffic.

Lepore, 68, was worried at first that his commanders would berate him for letting loose on the job, but they quickly saw that he attracted positive attention to the department. Soon afterwards, he appeared on national television and began to grow a loyal following.

“He is an icon for Providence,” one passerby told the Boston Globe in 2011.

“I think Tony is the coolest thing since sliced bread,” said another.

The officer’s style was reminiscent of the 60s, drawing comparisons to Michael Jackson and John Travolta. A crowd favorite was the “Duckie,” a move that involved Lepore arched backwards, patting the pavement with his palms while balancing on his ankles.

After Lepore retired from the force in 1989, the Providence Police Department hired him to direct downtown traffic during the holiday season.

He has been a fixture of the city’s intersections every year since. Every year until this one, that is.

Lepore has been entertaining drivers and directing traffic at intersections around Providence for over 20 years (Getty)

This October, Lepore learned that a Dunkin’ Donuts employee had written “#blacklivesmatter” on another police officer’s cup, an act that Lepore interpreted as disrespectful to all law enforcement. Days after the incident, he organized a protest outside the Dunkin’ Donuts in Providence and called for the employee to be fired.

“I just want people out there to support their police department,” Lepore told ABC 6 News in October. “I was a policeman for 17 years and I know how tough this job is. I think this group targeted coffee shops because they know that police are out there eight hours and that they love coffee.”

In a statement to ABC, the restaurant apologized for the employee’s conduct, saying: “We deeply regret the incident, and we are committed to showing our appreciation and respect for all officers, and for every guest who makes Dunkin’ Donuts part of their daily lives.”

It appeared that all had been forgotten. Not so, according to police officials who met with Lepore on Tuesday.

According to the AP, the officials told him that community groups were upset by his protest and that he wouldn’t be rehired for his seasonal traffic-directing role.

“Mr. Lepore was not authorized to speak on behalf of the Providence Police Department and his actions were, in my judgment, a disservice to the department and to members of the Providence community,” police commissioner Steven Pare said in a statement.

In response to Lepore’s protest in October, about 50 Black Lives Matter demonstrators had gathered outside of a Providence Dunkin’ Donuts to draw attention to what they called an “overreaction” to the coffee cup incident.

One of Lepore’s most famous moves is known as the “Duckie” (Getty)

They clarified that the phrase “Black Lives Matter” is pro-African American, but not anti-police.

“All Black Lives Matter is saying is, ‘Be mindful that we matter, too,'” protester Jorrell Kaykay told NBC 10 WJAR. “We’re not saying that gives us the right to step out of bounds or disrespect you…Keep in mind that you’re dealing with a human being and not some random thug, not some random hoodlum.”

[FILE - In this Dec. 13, 2012 photo, former Providence Police Department office Tony Lepore directs traffic at an intersection on Dorrance Street in Providence, R.I. Lepore said he was told by police officials Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2015, not to return to the city streets to direct traffic during the 2015 Christmas season, after organizing a protest over the appearance of a “blacklivesmatter” hashtag on a police officer’s coffee cup at a Rhode Island Dunkin’ Donuts. Lepore, a retired Providence police officer, became known nationally for injecting dance moves into his police work in 1984 while directing Providence traffic. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)] One of Lepore’s most famous moves is known as the “Duckie.” (Stephan Savoia/AP)

Lepore decried the decision not to rehire him as “very simply politics.”

“I feel bad I’m not going to be there anymore,” he told the AP. “But I had a good run…It gave the town so much publicity. No one knew where Rhode Island was in 1984.”

The Providence Dancing Cop Facebook page advertises appearances in schools, parks and parades, as well as a range of trademarked Dancing Cop merchandise.

It seems safe to say, then, that the “Duckie” won’t be disappearing entirely.

Washington Post