East Providence police name suspect who led chase that ended with crash

EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — The East Providence Police Department has released more information on the shots fired incident that resulted in a police cruiser crashing into a house and thousands of bullets spilled on the street.

Joshua Pavao, whose last known address was in Kissimmee, Florida, was charged with 106 counts of possessing a large capacity feeding device, two counts of carrying a firearm without a license, discharge of a firearm from a motor vehicle, firing in a compact area, eluding an officer in a high-speed pursuit, and vandalism, among several other charges.

Police said they received reports of shots fired on Estrell Drive around 2:30 p.m. on Friday.

When officers arrived, they saw that at least one round hit a vehicle on the street, and the suspect vehicle was fleeing towards Willett Avenue.

Police said they attempted to perform a motor vehicle stop as the suspect allegedly fled down multiple streets, including Crown Avenue, Silver Spring Avenue, Dodge Street, Vincent Avenue, Cushman Avenue, and Waterman Avenue.

“During the search and pursuit of the suspect vehicle, two of our officers were involved in a motor vehicle crash in the vicinity of Dover Avenue and Gardiner Street, causing a police vehicle to come into contact with a house,” Chief Christopher Francesconi said. “The home sustained minor damage and one of the officers was transported to the hospital with minor injuries.”

As the suspect fled, they either dropped or discarded a firearm magazine from his car on Pawtucket Avenue.

The suspect struck a vehicle on Waterman Avenue, before finally striking several more on the intersection of Pawtucket Avenue and Taunton Avenue, where his vehicle was “rendered inoperable.”

Police said that officers took the suspect into custody after he allegedly fled from his vehicle.

Numerous magazines and rounds were ejected from the vehicle due to the crash, which officers spending hours searching the area and the streets the suspect had driven down for discarded ammunition and firearms.

Police said that a civilian located a bag on Boyd Avenue, which police said contained three loaded handguns, a pellet rifle, and a bulletproof vest.

“This was an extremely volatile situation involving a dangerous and unpredictable suspect who put so many of our residents and police officers in harms way,” Francesconi said. “This investigation remains very active as we try to understand the motive and intentions of the suspect.”