Bodycam Footage Released In Fatal Police Shooting Of Murder Suspect

CRANSTON, RI — Police body camera footage released to WPRI shows the moments before officers fatally shot a murder suspect during a standoff in Cranston in May, according to the outlet.

The suspect, identified as 52-year-old James Harrison, was shot to death by police after a chase and standoff on Plainfield Pike after Harrison was accused of fatally shooting his mother, 83-year-old Janet Harrison, and his next-door neighbor, 44-year-old Thomas "TJ" May on May 24, according to WPRI.

May's 15-year-old daughter was also shot but survived, the outlet reported.

May and Harrison were dead by the time police arrived at the scene, according to the Providence Journal.

According to WPRI, after the shootings, Harrison crashed his car near the Cranston-Johnston line, where police told him to step out of his car before Harrison pulled his gun at the officers. In the body camera video shared by the outlet, officers can be seen drawing their weapons while apparently yelling at Harrison to get out of his car.

Cranston Police Chief Michael Winquist told WPRI the 10 officers were put on leave after the fatal shooting but have all since returned to work.

On the day of the killings, an officer was on his way to issue a no-trespassing order to James Harrison based on an incident that had taken place the previous night when he found May's wounded daughter on the front lawn, May in the garage, and Janet Harrison in her home next door, officials told the Journal in May.

Sources said the shooting stemmed from a dispute over Harrison peering into his neighbor’s window, WPRI reported in May. An investigation is ongoing, according to the outlet.

Patch reached out to the Cranston Police Department for all available body camera footage.