Family of Pawtucket man shot by police to hold press conference

PAWTUCKET, R.I. (WLNE) — The family of 28-year-old Sebastian Yidana, who was shot in the shoulder by Pawtucket police officer Thomas Letourneau, are holding a press conference on Friday morning at 10 a.m. in front of Pawtucket Police headquarters.

In the conference, the family, along with other members of the community, will demand that the felony assault and disorderly conduct charges against Yidana be dropped and that Letourneau be fired from the police department.

Yidana was shot last weekend when, according to Pawtucket police, he pointed a gun at others and himself.

The gun was later determined to be a plastic toy.

Yidana’s family said that he has a mental disability, and that the toy gun was marked with an orange cap.

His family says that he is currently at Rhode Island Hospital awaiting surgery.