Man Shot & Killed in Woonsocket Drove Vehicle at Officers, Injuring Them, Says Head of State Police

Man Shot & Killed in Woonsocket Drove Vehicle at Officers, Injuring Them, Says Head of State Police

Rhode Island State Police Superintendent James Manni said Thursday that the suspect shot and killed in Woonsocket on Wednesday had driven his vehicle at law enforcement officers — injuring two — who were members of the Violent Fugitive Task Force.

At a press conference, Manni — who was joined by the U.S. Marshal’s Office and Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha — said that the investigation is “open and ongoing.”

 

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Events Leading Up to Shooting

Manni said that on Wednesday at 12:30 PM, a woman came to State Police barracks in Lincoln and said that a man known to her, Russell Dufault, 58 of Portsmouth, assaulted and held her against her will in Little Compton. 

The woman said he demanded $80,000 that he believed was stolen from a member of her family; the woman told the State Police he threatened to kill her before he eventually let her go.

Manni said that a warrant was issued for Dufault’s arrest, and that the Violent Fugitive Task Force — which is compromised of members of the Rhode Island State Police, the U.S. Marshal’s Office, and several municipal police departments — located Dufault later on Wednesday in Woonsocket.

 

Locating Suspect

According to Manni, members of the task force approached Dufault’s vehicle in an attempt to arrest him. He said officers identified themselves and gave commands for Dufault to step out of the vehicle.

Manni said Dufault refused to comply and instead drove his vehicle striking a U.S. Marshal — causing him to be thrown on the hood of Dufault’s vehicle — and then continued driving and pinned a member of the Rhode Island State Police between two vehicles. 

It was at this point, according to Manni, officers discharged their weapons and Dufault was fatally injured. 

At Thursday’s press conference, Manni said that State Police Detectives Gregory DeMarco and Theodore Gibbons were “involved in the incident;” he also said that the officers who discharged their weapons were a State Police officer and a U.S. Marshal. 

The U.S. Marshal’s office said due to protocol it would not be releasing any names of personnel involved at this time, and would be waiting on federal clearance to do so. 

According to Manni, the injured officers were taken to the hospital, treated, and released.