North Kingstown Officers Cleared in Shooting
September 21, 2009
A statewide grand jury has ruled that two North Kingstown police officers were justified when they shot and wounded an emotionally disturbed teenager during a February 2009 armed standoff. Grand jurors found that Officers John Urban and Kevin Gleason, members of IBPO Local 473, had sufficient reason to believe that they, another officer and the suspect were in imminent danger of serious harm or death during the February 8 incident.
“I don’t think any officer ever wants to use deadly force in a situation like this, especially with someone who was so clearly troubled, but these officers very likely prevented a far worse outcome,” said Paul Birks, IBPO national vice president. “I’m relieved for the officers involved that the grand jury recognized that their actions were reasonable under the difficult circumstances.”
According to press reports, Officer Dan Silva had responded that day to a call from others staying in a North Kingstown dwelling that Kilcline had injured himself with a knife. Silva, armed with his Taser, discovered Kilcline and ordered him to drop the knife. When Kilcline charged at Silva with the knife, he used the Taser, but the suspect did not stop charging. Urban and Gleason fired their service weapons and seriously wounded Kilcline, who survived the incident.