Woman: Cop arrested me for DUI, then hit on me via text

WARWICK, R.I. (WPRI) — A suspended Rhode Island police officer is accused of sending lewd text messages to a woman he had arrested earlier on the same day.

Scott Cole, 30, arrested the 27-year old woman in July in East Greenwich, on charges of drunken driving according to court records. 

About a month later, she filed a complaint that was obtained by WISH-TV’s sister station WPRI, claiming Cole contacted her the morning of the arrest through a voicemail and text messages. 

In her complaint, she wrote officer Cole “was hitting on me / flirting with me.”

According to copies of the text messages, Cole sent a lewd picture to her around 3:30 p.m. the day he arrested her.

“I was flabbergasted,” she wrote in her complaint. “He seemed to have all the control and I didn’t want to upset him.”

Cole was in court this morning to testify against the woman in her misdemeanor DUI trial, which was postponed.

Afterward, Cole would not comment about the accusations.

“I’m just here for a trial,” he said while walking away from the courthouse.

East Greenwich Police Chief Colonel Stephen Brown confirmed Cole is currently suspended with pay, with the town seeking termination through the law enforcement officers bill of rights.

Colonel Brown would not comment about the specifics of the termination process.

According to the town officials, Cole had been suspended earlier this year after he was arrested for DUI in Warwick in April. 

Cole’s DUI case is currently open, in the State Veterans court,  according to court documents.

In the text string with the woman, Cole acknowledged his record, and also offered an opinion about the statute.

“DUIs are not as bad as they used to be,” he texted. “You can get a hardship license now for work.”