A police officer reportedly shot a man who had followed and harassed two female college students on Thursday night in Bristol, Rhode Island.
Bristol police told WJAR the incident started at Colt State Park, where a naked man allegedly approached two female college students and made uncomfortable hand gestures. The man then followed the women in his car when they drove off.
The college students called a friend, who told them to head to the Bristol Police Department a short distance away. The suspect, identified by police only as a 39-year-old Massachusetts man, then began ramming his car into the back of the college students' SUV.
They got out of the vehicle screaming for help, and a police officer's spouse happened to be in the parking lot.
"The sergeant immediately came out, the suspect continued to ram that vehicle, came at the sergeant with the vehicle then struck the girls again. The sergeant fired two shots into the vehicle," Bristol Police Chief Kevin Lynch said.
The suspect was taken to a local hospital, and was conscious and alert, according to police.
The two students suffered only minor injuries.
"I have to credit the sergeant, his actions were heroic," Lynch said. "These two young ladies could have fallen into a difficult situation based on the surroundings, so the sergeant's actions were certainly heroic and assisted in saving these two young ladies."
The investigation is ongoing, and Bristol police are working with the attorney general's office. The sergeant has not yet been placed on leave.
