Patrolman getting weapons off streets

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) - The right place at the right time with the right instincts.

A Providence patrolman's keen eye helps nab a would-be robber armed with a weapon. Patrolman Mike Gammino spotted the suspicious acting man outside a liquor store. He found the man was carrying a gun. It's one of several weapons he's recently taken off the streets.

Gammino cruised down Hartford Avenue and a man in a hooded sweatshirt stood out.

"He had some heavy clothing on. Something that was too warm. It didn't make sense? It did not make sense at all," said Patrolman Gammino.

He asked the guy to stop.

"I asked him what his name was. He immediately took off running, holding his waste band," he said.

As Gammino chased the man onto Merino Street the suspect dropped his gun. He tossed the gun into a nearby yard before the officer was able to nab him as he tried to hop a fence.

He said, "I have no idea what is going on. I have no idea if he has drugs on him, a gun on him, or if he just committed a robbery."

Police believe the suspect was thinking about robbing Summit Liquors and Patrolman Gammino just happened to be in the right place at the right time.

It’s one of several guns police brass credit Gammino in getting off the streets in recent months. For his swift action Providence police have named him Officer of the Month.

"Every day is not the same, everyday changes," said Gammino.

Gammino says he's simply doing his job to make Providence's streets safer. Gammino says he knows the job can be dangerous, but he would not give it up for anything.