Body cam video shows arrest of Providence shooting suspect

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Police have arrested the suspect accused of shooting and critically wounding a man in Providence early Wednesday morning.

Officers were called to a home on Dorr Street for reports of a shooting just after 1:30 a.m.

When they pulled up, the officers saw the suspect running toward nearby Rill Street, according to the police report obtained by 12 News.

Police chased the suspect, later identified as Raymond Symonds, down Rill Street and onto Boyd Street.

Once on Boyd Street, one of the officers deployed his department-issued stun gun and hit Symonds in the back. Body camera footage from the chase shows the officer activating the stun gun and Symonds falling to the pavement shortly after.

Watch: Police apprehend Providence shooting suspect (Story continues below video.)

The officers quickly handcuffed Symonds, who was wearing a black ski mask, and placed him into the back of a police cruiser. Symonds could be heard shouting, “I didn’t shoot no one!” several times as he was being arrested.

Police recovered a gun, two shell casings and one live round from the front steps, according to the report.

The victim’s wife, according to the report, told police her husband and his brother were sitting on the front steps when Symonds and two others approached them.

The brother explained that Symonds had “asked them for money because his mother was sick.”

Shortly after both men told Symonds they couldn’t help him, the report says he pulled out a gun and pointed it at them.

The brother told officers they thought it was a toy gun at first, but realized it wasn’t when Symonds fired a shot into the air.

Symonds fired a total of three shots, one of which hit the victim in the neck. He was rushed to Rhode Island Hospital where he’s in critical condition, according to police.

Police said Symonds was transported to Roger Williams Hospital to be evaluated and have the stun gun prongs removed from his back.

Symonds was then taken into custody and charged with felony assault with a dangerous weapon, firing in a compact area, and carrying a pistol without a license or permit.

Providence Police Col. Hugh Clements described the ordeal as an “unbelievable apprehension.”

“[It’s] textbook police work with less than lethal force,” he said.