Grand jury exonerates police officers
January 4, 2013
WOONSOCKET — A Providence County grand jury has determined that city police officers broke no law last spring when they engaged in a high-speed motor vehicle chase in pursuit of Anthony Lescarbeau, who died in an ensuing crash.
The grand jury completed its investigation into the circumstances surrounding Lescarbeau’s death Thursday, concluding that “the actions of the officers were legally justified,” Attorney General Peter Kilmartin’s office said in a statement.
Reacting to the decision, Police Chief Thomas Carey called Lescarbeau’s death “unfortunate,” but he said that based on a still-open internal affairs investigation of the incident, “I can’t say I’m surprised by the grand jury’s decision.”
Lescarbeau, 33, of North Smithfield, crashed his 1986 Ford Mustang into a tree near Grove and Blakely streets on June 14 after fleeing from a routine motor vehicle stop moments earlier.
He was later airlifted to Rhode Island Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Read more in our print edition.
