Johnston Police officer shoots at man after being struck by car

JOHNSTON, R.I. (WLNE) — The Johnston Police Department said an officer shot at a suspect after the man allegedly struck the officer with his car on April 26.

The department said the officer responded to the Shell gas station on Hartford Avenue around 11:30 p.m. for reports of an argument between a male and a female.

Once the officer located the two, the male driver, who was sitting alone in a car, allegedly accelerated at the officer as he exited his cruiser and struck him.

Police said the officer then “discharged his service weapon, firing multiple rounds at the driver,” hitting the 28-year-old suspect.

The car then collided with a pylon on Hartford Avenue.

The department said the suspect was transported to the hospital with injuries from the shooting but was expected to survive.

The officer suffered minor injuries.

The Johnston Police Department is investigating the officer-involved shooting in accordance with the Rhode Island Attorney General’s protocol for a review and joint investigation by members of the Attorney General’s Office, the Rhode Island State Police, and the Johnston Police Department,” the department said.