An investigation is underway in Cranston, Rhode Island, after an officer fired at a suspect who allegedly fled from police during a traffic stop following a shoplifting incident Sunday.
Cranston police say the shoplifting was reported by a store employee in the Garden City Shopping Center around 5:16 p.m., at which point the suspect's license plate and a vehicle description were provided to all patrol officers.
About five minutes later, an officer saw the vehicle stopped in traffic at a red light on Reservoir Avenue, just south of the onramp to Route 10 in Providence.
The officer walked up to the vehicle, opened the driver's door and ordered both people inside to exit, police said, however the male driver allegedly refused the officer's commands while the female passenger told the driver to flee.
The vehicle made contact with the officer, who discharged a single round from his weapon, according to police.
The driver fled onto Route 10 north and was last seen near Niantic Avenue, police said. The suspects remain at large, and the vehicle has not been recovered.
The officer was taken to Kent County Hospital where they were treated for their injuries and later released.
Local
Per protocol, the incident is under investigation by a multi-agency investigative team, including Cranston police, Providence police, Rhode Island State Police, and the Rhode Island Attorney General's Office.
