Police officer shoots suspect after stabbing

Cumberland police officer allegedly attacked; injuries reportedly not life-threatening

CUMBERLAND – A local police officer and an unidentified male subject were reported hospitalized Saturday night following an apparent violent altercation outside Cumberland High School in which the police officer was stabbed and then discharged his firearm at the as yet unidentified male subject.

The police officer, also not identified on Sunday, and the male subject were both transported to the hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries, according to Mayor Jeffrey Mutter.

Mutter, who had visited the Public Safety Complex after the incident Saturday night, said no names were being released on Sunday as an investigation by the Rhode Island State Police, the Rhode

Island Attorney General’s Office and the Cumberland Police Department continued.

The details of the incident were still emerging according to Mutter.

“I’m not sure what the altercation was but a police officer got stabbed and he discharged his weapon. We don’t know exactly how many times,” Mutter said when contacted on Sunday.

“It is being investigated by the State Police, the Attorney General’s Office and our Cumberland Police Department,” Mutter said.

From preliminary reports, Mutter said the police officer was stabbed during the altercation and then discharged his weapon. Both the officer and the male subject that Mutter described as being younger than 30, were taken to Rhode

Island Hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. He did not have more information on their conditions on Sunday.

“It is my understanding that the officer was just checking out the grounds and that there may have been a call from someone saying there was a suspicious person on the campus around 7 p.m.,

6:50, 6:55,” Mutter said.

“The officer responds to the scene and there is some sort of altercation, apparently, and which leads to the stabbing and the discharging of the firearm, but I’m not sure exactly what that was,” Mutter added.

“But thankfully, I know they are still in the hospital, but they are not life threatening injuries,” the mayor said.

Mutter said he had been in contact with Cumberland Police Chief John Desmarais on Sunday and noted that the

investigation was continuing during the day.

“I know officially there haven’t been any charges yet and all of the investigation is going on right now,” Mutter said. “I’m sure all that is transpiring as we speak.”

Mutter said he expected additional information to be released as the investigation proceeds.