PROVIDENCE, RI (WLNE) – A report from the office of Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha concludes that the use of deadly force by police officers in the May 2023 shooting of murder suspect James Harrison was justified.
Harrison is alleged to have shot and killed his neighbor Thomas May and shot and injured May’s daughter on May 24, 2023, in Ligian Court in Johnston.
When police arrived on the scene, they arrived at Harrison’s home and found his mother, Janet Harrison, dead from multiple gunshot wounds.
Harrison was found by police several hours later at St. Ann Cemetery in Cranston.
Harrison attempted to elude police, and a chase ensued through Cranston, which ended with Harrison crashing his vehicle on the grassy area near the Board of Elections.
At this point, Harrison was surrounded by members of the Cranston and Providence police departments and pointed a firearm at the officers.
Several police officers then shot Harrison, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Rhode Island State Police Forensic Division determined that 141 shots were fired at Harrison during the incident, and an autopsy report found that Harrison had a blood alcohol content of 0.062 percent.
The conclusion of the report is:
Our review of the extensive investigation conducted by the Rhode Island State Police concludes that the use of deadly force by members of the Providence Police Department and Cranston Police Department was appropriate and legally justified in an extremely dangerous confrontation with an armed, fleeing felon who had previously shot at multiple individuals earlier that day, killing two of them.
