Police investigate police-involved shooting in Cranston

CRANSTON, R.I. (WLNE) — Police said an officer shot a shoplifter in Cranston on Sunday after she was struck by her vehicle.

A female police officer was hospitalized following an officer-involved shooting on Reservoir Avenue near the Cranston-Providence border, according to Cranston Police Major Todd Patalano.

Cranston police said a store employee reported a shoplifting at the Garden City Shopping Center around 5:16 p.m.

Officials said an officer found a suspicious vehicle matching the description provided to police around 5:21 p.m.

According to authorities, the officer approached the vehicle, which was stopped at a red light on Reservoir Avenue, opened the driver’s door and ordered the two occupants to get out.

According to police, the male driver refused to comply and the female passenger ordered him to drive off. The vehicle then collided with the officer, who fired a single shot from her weapon.

The driver fled onto Route 10 north and was last seen near Niantic Avenue, officials said.

The officer was taken to Kent County Hospital for treatment of her injuries and was released shortly thereafter.

No other injuries were reported in the incident, and police said both suspects are still at large.

The Rhode Island State Police and the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office, along with Providence and Cranston police, are assisting in a multi-agency investigation into the incident.