Man wanted for stealing police cruiser in custody

November 10, 2017 11:44 pm

Donald Morgan. Courtesy of Rhode Island State Police

By: Rebecca Turco

Email: rturco@abc6.com

CUMBERLAND, R.I. – Police captured the Providence man accused of stealing a state police cruiser, igniting a state-wide manhunt.

The State Police Violent Fugitive Task Force arrested Donald Morgan in Cumberland. He is being held pending the conditions of his arraignment Saturday.

Authorities had been looking for him since Thursday morning. They say he stole the cruiser – while in handcuffs – after the trooper driving him to court stopped to help drivers involved in an accident on Route 146.

While police attempted to capture Morgan, they embarked on a high speed chase of white pickup truck they believed he was hiding in. Morgan was not in the truck.

The driver of the truck refused to stop. The chase ended in an officer-involved shooting. Officers fired around 40 rounds of ammunition, killing the driver, Joseph Santos.

Santos’ passenger, Christine Demers, was critically injured.