City man arrested after allegedly discharging gun
Incident happened with young children, ages 2 and 5, in home
WOONSOCKET — Police found the bullet in the drain of the bathroom sink.
Before the 9mm slug got there, it had ricocheted off the ceiling. That was after it passed through the bathroom floor.
En route to its destination, the bullet missed three people, including two girls, ages 2 and 5, and their mother.
Saying his actions had placed other members of the household in fear, police took the alleged
shooter into custody Monday, arresting Dennis D. Paquette, 37, on charges of firing in a compact area and domestic disorderly conduct. Police were directed to Paquette’s home at 201 Grove St. about 8:20 p.m. after dispatchers at headquarters received a call that he might be trying to harm himself, according to police reports. When they arrived, they found out that his 9mm hand
gun had already been locked in a car for safekeeping by another member of his family. They were told Paquette was upstairs in his room sleeping.
They also learned that Paquette had discharged the weapon some 24 hours before anyone called the police. Paquette’s girlfriend told officers she “heard a loud bang from Paquette’s bedroom” and that, when she questioned him about it, he told her the gun when off by accident as he was trying to clean it.
“The projectile traveled
through Paquette’s bedroom ceiling, up into the bathroom on the second floor, struck the ceiling of the bathroom and ricocheted which caused the projectile to lodge into the bathroom sink’s drain,” Officer Sergio Pratt’s report says. “I located a copper...spent projectile in the drain of the bathroom sink.
Police seized the 9mm handgun from which the bullet was fired as well as a double-barrel shotgun they found resting against a dresser in Paquette’s bedroom when they took him into custody. In addition, police seized 17 live rounds of 9mm ammunition.
Paquette was initially taken to Landmark Medical Center for an evaluation before he was transferred to police headquarters for booking.
Following an initial appearance in Sixth District Court on Tuesday, Paquette was released on personal recognizance pending another hearing on Nov. 18.