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A prominent Rhode Island Democrat was caught on camera belligerently chiding a cop and calling him a “d–k” during a wild DUI traffic stop where she ranted, “God forbid I was a black person, I’d be arrested.”
Cranston Democratic Committee chair Maria Bucci — who is connected to the state gubernatorial candidate — berated police with a series of insults while asking them “You know who I am, right?” when she was pulled over shortly after midnight last Thursday on an East Greenwich road, the bodycam footage shows.
The numerous outbursts took place while East Greenwich cops were attempting to conduct a field sobriety test outside her car before she was taken into custody and hit with a misdemeanor DUI charge, according to reports.
As the situation quickly spun out of control, Bucci, who is white, attempted to bring up race, according to police bodycam video obtained by local outlet GoLocalProv.
“I honestly feel bad, if I was a black human, I think you guys,” she said as a cop objected. “No, honestly, I feel bad for the people, I feel bad for the people that are not in my position.”
A minute later as one of the cops gave her instructions to walk in a straight line, she shouted at her cousin waiting in her vehicle.
“Call my husband right now, and call the attorney general and everybody else in town,” the former Cranston councilwoman screeched.
“Cause this is disgusting, God forbid I was a black person, I’d be arrested.”
Bucci was ultimately placed in handcuffs after she continued to needle police and ignore instructions, the video shows.
“You’re a d–k, give me the camera, you’re a d–k,” she said. “Like I am not drinking, you’re a loser.”
Bucci, 51, is facing charges of driving under the influence first offense, blood alcohol concentration unknown, which is a misdemeanor, according to the Boston Globe, citing court filings.
She appears well-known in Democratic circles in the Ocean State after unsuccessfully running for Cranston mayor in 2020 and state representative in 2024, according to reports.
She’s listed as the Cranston Democratic Committee chair on the state party’s website and recently got a shout out from Democratic gubernatorial candidate Helena Buonanno Foulkes.
“Such a great evening in Cranston! Thank you, [Maria Bucci], for bringing such wonderful people together and to the [Circe Prime] team for the warm hospitality and delicious food,” Buonanno Foulkes posted on Instagram on Dec. 3.
The state Democratic committee did not immediately return a request for comment Tuesday afternoon. The campaign for Buonanno Foulkes also did not immediately return a request for comment.
Bucci appeared to float her status earlier during the police stop, according to the police video.
“You know who I am, right?” she asked.
The cop replied, “I don’t know who you are and I frankly –“
“You don’t care, right?” she said, cutting him off midsentence.
“No, I really don’t,” the officer said.
When Bucci was pulled over, police “immediately detected a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from inside the vehicle,” according to a police report obtained by the Globe.
An officer also alleged in the report that Bucci’s eyes were “severely bloodshot, glassy, and watery.”
“She was slurring and spitting when she was yelling and was extremely confrontational,” according to the report.
At the start of the stop, Bucci told police she had one glass of wine at a Christmas party, the video shows.
An email to Bucci was not immediately returned Tuesday.
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