Pawtucket police kill Mass. man during car stop
May 3, 2012
PAWTUCKET(AP) — Pawtucket police say they were defending themselves when they killed a Massachusetts man who pulled a gun on them during a traffic stop.
Two police officers shot the man several times on Sherman Street shortly after 6 p.m. Wednesday. Authorities say they stopped the man because he appeared to match the description of a suspect wanted by Massachusetts state police for an assault with a firearm earlier in the day.
Police say the man got out of the car with a gun and they opened fire to protect themselves. Officials didn't identify the man, but relatives say he was 35-year-old Jamie Coyle of Attleboro, Mass. Coyle's family disputes allegations that he threatened the officers.
The Rhode Island attorney general's office and state police are assisting Pawtucket police with the investigation.
