(JL)
FIRST THIS NOONTIME,
OUR COVERAGE
CONTINUES ON A DEADLY
POLICE PURSUIT --
TWO BIG STORIES ARE
NOW INTERTWINED.
AT THIS HOUR, POLICE
ARE STILL LOOKING FOR
THIS MAN -- ACCUSED OF
STEALING A STATE POLICE
CRUISER ON ROUTE 146
YESTERDAY.
IT WAS FOLLOWED BY THE
PURSUIT OF A WHITE
PICKUP TRUCK ON THE
HIGHWAY --
WHICH ENDED IN
OFFICERS USING DEADLY
FORCE --
AGAINST AGGRESSIVE
BEHAVIOR BEHIND THE
WHEEL.
WE HAVE TEAM
COVERAGE WORKING ALL
DAY TODAY--
LET'S GET A BREAKDOWN
OF THE LATEST
DEVELOPMENTS WITH
JARED PLINER LIVE
IN PROVIDENCE.
Police have still not found
Donald Morgan this noontime
the man they were after to
begin with. But we continue
to put all the pieces
together in this case.
More details Friday on this
highway shooting near the
Providence Place Mall. Police
opening fire on a white pickup
killing a man and seriously
injuring his female passenger.
After a lack of clarity early
Thursday, police later confirmed
the man was NOT Donald Morgan
who had stolen a state police
cruiser that morning. Police say
no weapon was found in the
truck.
Providence Public Safety
Commissioner Steven Paré tells
Eyewitness News two to three
dozen shots were fired at the
vehicle and nine or ten officers
used their weapons. A witness
said moments before, the driver
refused to get out and drove
into
a cruiser.
Police tell us some officers
were
wearing their new body cameras
during the ordeal. That footage
will now be reviewed.
This saga began when 35 year old
Donald Morgan, handcuffed, got
into the front seat of the state
police cruiser on Route 146,
when
the trooper stopped for a crash.
Morgan eventually dumped the
vehicle in Elmwood. Police
scoured that area to no avail.
This is where the confusion
starts. State police put out a
broadcast saying Morgan may
have jumped in the back of a
white pickup.
Cranston Police Colonel Michael
Winquist tells Eyewitness News
one of his officers was
patrolling
Silver Lake when he spotted a
white pickup driving
erratically.
Winquist says the officer pulled
the truck over, but it took off.
He
lost track of it. And that is
the
truck, Winquist says, was
sprayed with bullets on the
northbound ramp to 95 at the
mall.
We are anticipating an update
from police today. No word
yet on when that might be.
Jared Pliner Eyewitness News
(JL)
MORE DETAILS NOW....
THE SHOOTING IN BROAD
DAYLIGHT YESTERDAY IS
NOW UNDER
INVESTIGATION BY THREE
DIFFERENT AGENCIES.
WE'VE LEARNED,
THERE ARE SPECIFIC
POLICIES IN PLACE--
TO DETERMINE IF AN
OFFICER-RELATED
SHOOTING WAS LEGAL
AND JUSTIFIED.
AND THAT REVIEW HAS
ALREADY STARTED.
LET'S BRING IN TARGET 12
INVESTIGATOR TIM WHITE.
HE'S BEEN TALKING TO
LAW ENFORCEMENT
ABOUT HOW THAT
PROCESS WORKS.
TIM?
(TW ON CAM)
I JUST GOT OFF THE
PHONE WITH MICHAEL
PERRY...
HE IS ONE OF THE
WITNESSES WHO
RECORDED THE
SHOOTING ON HIS
CELLPHONE.
HE TELLS ME THE
PROVIDENCE POLICE ARE
ON THE WAY TO HIS
OFFICE RIGHT NOW TO
INTERVIEW HIM.
LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT
THAT VIDEO HE
RECORDED YESTERDAY.
(VO)
AS JARED PLINER JUST
REPORTED,
COMMISSIONER PARE
TELLS US NINE OR TEN
OFFICERS DISCHARGED
THEIR FIREARMS.
THAT LAUNCHES A
MASSIVE CITY AND STATE
REVIEW BECAUSE IT IS AS
AN OFFICER INVOLVED
SHOOTING.
HERE'S HOW THAT
WORKS,
THE ATTORNEY
GENERALS OFFICE WILL
OVERSEE THE
INVESTIGATION WHICH
WILL BE CONDUCTED BY
THE STATE POLICE AND
PROVIDENCE POLICE.
WE'RE TOLD OFFICERS
FROM BOTH AGENCIES
FIRED THEIR WEAPONS AT
THE SCENE YESTERDAY.
THE A-G'S OFFICE TELLS
US BECAUSE THIS WAS A
FATAL SHOOTING,
THESE CASES TYPICALLY
GO BEFORE A GRAND
JURY.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
EVIDENCE GATHERED
DURING THIS
INVESTIGATION COULD BE
BROUGHT BEFORE A
GRAND JURY TO
DETERMINE IF OFFICERS
WERE LEGALLY JUSTIFIED
IN THE SHOOTING.
GRAND JURY'S CAN ALSO
BE USED TO GATHER
EVIDENCE... THROUGH
SUBPEONAS FOR
EXAMPLE.
ANOTHER PERSON WHO
SHOT VIDEO FROM THE
SCENE TELLS US POLICE
HAVE ALSO CONTACTED
HIM FOR AN INTERVIEW.
(TW ON CAM)
TO GIVE YOU A SENSE AS
TO HOW SOON THESE
PROBES ARE LAUNCHED:
I CAN TELL YOU THERE
WERE FOUR
PROSECUTORS FROM THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL'S
OFFICE ON SCENE
YESTERDAY,
INCLUDING THE CHIEF OF
THE CRIMINAL DIVISION.
IT'S FAR TOO EARLY TO
SAY HOW LONG THIS
PROCESS WILL TAKE.
WITH THE TARGET 12
INVESTIGATORS TIM WHITE
EYEWITNESS NEWS
(JL)
THANK YOU TIM.
AS WE JUST SAW --
THE CHAOS YESTERDAY
PRESENTED TWO HUGE
STORIES.
IN THE DAYS AHEAD --
MANY NEW DETAILS WILL
BE COMING IN --
AS THE SEARCH
CONTINUES FOR DONALD
MORGAN --
AND THE INVESTIGATION
CONTINUES INTO THE
HIGHWAY SHOOTING.
STAY WITH EYEWITNESS
NEWS AND WPRI DOT COM
--
AS WE CONTINUE TO DIG
INTO THE MANY UN-
ANSWERED QUESTIONS.