Cranston police release footage of officer shooting at shoplifting suspects. What it shows.
A video released Friday morning by Cranston Police Chief Col. Michael J. Winquist shows footage recorded by an officer's body camera as she engaged with two suspected shoplifters before she fired a shot at their fleeing Kia sedan.
Saying that an investigation into the officer-involved shooting is "substantially complete," Winquist identified the officer as Kayleigh Cooper, a member of the force for three years, and released the video.
Both occupants of the car have been charged with assault on a police officer and they face other charges.
The driver, a 24-year-old South Boston man, and the passenger, a 24-year-old Lynn woman, were captured by U.S. Marshals, Massachusetts State Police and Boston Police on Tuesday.
What does the video show?
Police have released the video but they have not provided a blow-by-blow explanation as to what happened.
The exchange took place at a red light on Reservoir Avenue, just south of the on-ramp to Route 10, shortly after 5:20 p.m. on Sunday.
An employee at Cranston's Garden City Shopping Center notified police about a case of shoplifting.
Soon after, Cooper spotted the two suspected shoplifters at the intersection on Reservoir near Route 10. They were in a Kia and stopped in traffic at the light.
The video shows Cooper approaching the vehicle on foot. Twice she tells the driver to shut off the car.
Then, she opens the driver's door and orders him to get out.
The face to face exchange takes place as the car rolls forward with the driver's side door open.
"What are you doing?" asks the driver. "What is this about?"
Cooper tells him it's about shoplifting. She orders him out of the car four times.
During the exchange, the woman in the passenger seat, who is looking at the intersection ahead, says, "Drive" three times.
The man had an alarmed expression on his face in the moments before Cooper's 9mm Glock handgun appears in the frame. One hand moves back to the steering wheel.
"Ma'am, get away from my car," he yells.
Cooper yells something that sounds like "you can't run me over." The words "run me over" are clear.
The footage also shows the vehicle moving toward the intersection. The Glock reappears in the frame to the right. A single shot can be heard.
Also, a bright white line appears on the side of the car as it turns just after the shot. It's not clear if it's damage from a bullet, or prior damage that becomes more visible as the car turns and the sun hits it or just a reflection.
State police have said the officer fired a shot after the fleeing car drove over her foot.
The driver turned onto Route 10 North and evaded capture until Tuesday. Both suspects were arrested on Tuesday at JFK/UMass station in Boston.
Reasonable force?
Based on the video alone, it appears the officer was not in personal danger at the time she took the shot and as the car drove away.
But such observations, which hinge on matters of proximity and timing, can be misleading and investigators consider a full range of evidence as they evaluate the officer's actions.
Winquist said he cannot comment on such specifics. An investigation by the state police and the office of Attorney General Peter F. Neronha, which will delve into whether the officer's use of force was reasonable, continues.
"I trust in the process that's in place," he said.
Winquist said he cautions viewers from judging Cooper's actions based on the video alone.
"We must keep in mind that use-of-force incidents like this happen very quickly," he said.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Police body cam footage of Cranston officer firing at suspects released
