State v. Powell

OPINION

Justice FLAHERTY, for the Court.

Community complaints about street-lev- • el prostitution and narcotics activities resulted in three members of the Providence Police Department working undercover in plainclothes. At approximately 10:15 P.M. on April 8, 2008, the undercover police pulled into the parking lot of a gas station. A man standing next to a black SUV made eye contact with one of the undercover officers and motioned with a nod. Aftér the officer nodded back, the man approached, engaged in some small talk and then asked whether the men were looking to buy any “rock” (crack…