A 20-mile police chase in Rhode Island led to an animal abuser's death. The incident happened in Providence on Friday, Sept. 15.
Police officers said that the man was being chased because of a motor vehicle violation. But, he refused the arrest, leading to the tragic happening.
Rhode Island: 20-Mile Police Chase Leads to Animal Abuser's Death
According to Fox News' latest report, the man killed was identified as Michael Pinto (40 years old); a resident of Glocester, Rhode Island.
Authorities said that Pinto was out on probation on an animal cruelty charge when the incident happened. When Michael was being chased, police responders were not aware that his daughter was inside the car as well.
Because of this, the teenage girl was shot in the leg, which led to a serious injury. Burrillville's town police chief, Stephen Lynch, explained cops tried to chase the man for a brief period on Thursday, Sept. 14.
However, he was able to escape. On Friday, Sept. 15, the Burrillvile police saw the criminal, who was wanted on an arrest warrant.
They chased him again and went into Massachusetts before moving to Route 146 in Rhode Island. The police chase went for around 20 miles.
After they closed the distance, police officers tried to box Pinto with their vehicles; two responders got out of their cars to arrest Michael.
But, the animal abuser decided to drive at one of them. Because of this, the officer fired two rounds into the man's car before it hit a police cruiser and escaped again.
This scenario went on for several more miles. When the police officers finally trapped Pinto (placing two of their cars in front and rear side of Michael's vehicle), they decided to shoot the man.
Pinto and his daughter were taken out of the car after the incident. Unfortunately, the man died at a hospital eventually.
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Police Officers Involved Now Under Investigation
The Boston Globe reported that involved police officers in the death of Pinto are now under investigation. This was confirmed by the State Police, the attorney general's office, and the local police department.
Attorney General Peter Neronha said that they will observe the videos captured by police officers' body-worn cameras to see what really happened.
This will be done for around 10 days or on week. After that, investigators will interview witnesses and analyze the ballistics evidence to determine the necessary steps to be taken.
