Delightful.

What is it with high-ranking public officials acting like gigantic babies in this state?

From today's ProJo:

Police Chief Dean M. Esserman, angry that a sergeant had a coughing fit while he was addressing a group of officers, threatened to throw a cup of coffee in the sergeant’s face, according to a city councilman, a former councilman and the president of the police labor union.

That remark, which officials said was taken as a genuine threat by the sergeant, David W. Marchant, became the basis for Esserman’s one-day suspension from duty without pay on Monday.

Taft A. Manzotti, president of the Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge No. 3, reported Monday that witnesses quoted the chief as having said, “I’m about ready to throw this (expletive deleted) coffee in your face.” Manzotti said Marchant has been battling bronchitis and could not suppress the coughs.

Here's the best part:

Esserman was expounding on how the Providence police would be refashioned as “a teaching department” for the law-enforcement community and how the sergeants would be involved. But he was interrupted at least twice by the coughing and then exploded, Manzotti said.

The first lesson of the new teaching department? Take a (expletive deleted) Ricola or take it outside, Sgt. Sicky McCoughsalot. This is more of a big deal than you might think it should be, apparently because Chief Esserman has a history of being chronically "high-handed and rude." Now, I fully support my local police and all they do to keep us safe, but if the law enforcement community as a whole - in Rhode Island - thinks you're high-handed and rude, you have serious personality issues.