UPDATE: RI ACLU calls on Pawtucket Police to release details on deadly officer involved shooting

By: Chloe Leshner

cleshner@abc6.com

@ChloeLeshner

PAWTUCKET, R.I. (WLNE) — Questions linger 3 days after Pawtucket Police shot and killed a man who was walking around with a gun. The Rhode Island ACLU is now calling on the police department for answers and a review of its training and practices.

Pawtucket Police released the names of the officers involved late Monday evening. They are Officers Ana Vertentes, William Briggs and Dianne Rittman-McLaughlin. A violent struggle started between Officer Vertentes and DaShawn Cole, the man later killed. All 3 officers fired their weapons.

Officer Vertentes was hired in July 2016 and Officers Rittman-McLaughlin and Briggs were hired in March 2010.

There’s still a lot to learn about the shooting death of DaShawn Cole. The Rhode Island ACLU calling on Pawtucket Police to release key details about what happened early Friday morning.

"We understand the investigation is still continuing and will continue for awhile but there’s still some basic information that should be out there. Otherwise we just think it creates a great deal of suspicion and mistrust," says Steven Brown with the Rhode Island ACLU.

What we know is police got reports of the 28 year old walking in Pawtucket with a gun in his waistband. When they found him there was a violent struggle the Chief says ended in a felony assault on an officer. On Friday she wouldn’t specify if that meant Cole fired the weapon.

"It means that a firearm was on the scene and that is considered a felony assault. There was an assault," said Chief Tina Goncalves.

There have been 14 deadly officer involved shootings in Rhode Island since 2006. Seven of those have been in Pawtucket.

Brown says it raises questions about the department’s training.

"We think that certainly warrants an investigation about the training procedures and practices the Pawtucket Police are engaged in and whether it might be different from whats going on elsewhere," says Brown.

The Attorney General’s office is investigating this latest officer involved shooting. All 6 previous cases in Pawtucket were found to be justified.

(C) WLNE/ABC 6 2018