Demand that the City fire Police Officer Matthew Sheridan!

Patrolman Matthew Sheridan is an example of the racist violence unleashed by the Providence Police against our community.  It's time for him to get out of our neighborhoods and leave us alone. 

Mayor Elorza needs to take our concerns seriously and make our community safer by starting the proceedings to FIRE Officer Sheridan. 

Mayor Elorza, Commissioner Paré, and Colonel Clements:


I add my name to hundreds calling on you to IMMEDIATELY begin the process to fire Patrolman Matthew Sheridan from the Providence Police Department.



Even though Patrolman Sheridan has only been a member of the Providence Police force since October, 2014, in that short time he been shown in several documented incidents to use an outrageous level of violence and aggression toward members of our community.





  • On May 18, 2016 he assaulted and illegally arrested Christopher Johnson a few yards from the nationally recognized poet and playwright's home, simply because Mr. Johnson exercised his constitutional right not to provide his name when not suspected of any crime.1




  • On September 20, 2015 he was caught on video brutally assaulting Esmelin Fajardo, a young disabled employee of a local nightclub. Mr. Fajardo and another employee were illegally arrested and prosecuted based on Patrolman Sheridan's multiple false statements.2




  • On May 23, 2016, Patrolman Sheridan appears in another video, grabbing and forcefully throwing to the ground a man who was merely trying to assist a woman who had been beaten by Patrolman Michael Place.3




  • On July 21, 2015, only nine months after he joined the force, Patrolman Sheridan unleashed a tirade of verbal and physical abuse, including attempting to choke long time community resident and father of four, Charm Howie. Mr. Howie has endured more than year of prosecution by the City on charges Patrolman Sheridan fabricated during this incident. 4




These documented incidents, without even considering how many other examples may exist, show a pattern of behavior that is completely unacceptable for any person, let alone one who is paid with our tax dollars to carry a gun and other assorted weapons on our streets.



You need to join us in making our streets safer and reducing the City's exposure to unnecessary lawsuits by immediately initiating the procedures to firing Patrolman Matthew Sheridan.






4SU-16-0069, Memorandum in Opposition to City's Petition for Writ of Certiorari, pp. 6-11. (Supreme Court of RI).


Update #17 years ago
With your help, over 1,200 people signed paper or electronic versions of our petition to FIRE officer Mathew Sheridan. On February 14, a lively crowd filled Mayor Elorza's office and presented the petitions. But he STILL hasn't responded! Please call Mayor Elorza today at 421-2489 and tell him that the people want him to FIRE Matthew Sheridan - Mayor Elorza needs to listen up!
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