Pawtucket police officer Daniel Dolan Jr. is being charged with four felonies for shooting a teenager outside a restaurant in West Greenwich last week.
Dolan, 38, is facing three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, as well as using a firearm while committing a crime of violence, according to court records. He is scheduled to be arraigned July 16.
The Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office announced the charges Thursday afternoon. The Attorney General’s office also led the eight-day investigation, along with State Police, and West Greenwich and Pawtucket Police.
“[Dolan’s] actions were not justified at that time and in that place,” Attorney General Peter Nerhona said at a press conference. “Notwithstanding his occupation as a police officer.”
Dolan’s attorney could not be reached for comment.
The charges stem from an altercation on June 23 that started on I-95, police say. Dolan was in civilian clothes driving home from an assignment when he encountered a black Audi sedan with three people inside. Eventually, the two cars ended up in the parking lot of a West Greenwich pizza shop, where Dolan “approached the Audi while displaying his badge,” prosecutors say.
The driver of the Audi reversed away from Dolan, according to the charging documents. Before the Audi could leave the parking lot, “Officer Dolan fired one shot from his service pistol into the driver’s side window of the Audi, striking the driver in the upper left arm.”
Dominic Vincent, the 18-year-old driver of the car, was hit in his left arm. He was transported to Rhode Island Hospital and eventually released.
The shooting occurred after Dolan worked a shift in Pawtucket, Dolan told State Police investigators.
After following the vehicle into the pizza shop parking lot, and leaving his truck, Dolan said he believed the Audi was going to drive forward and hit him.
“The vehicle continued driving forward, and I made the decision that he was not going to stop, and I was going to remove my firearm and fire a shot to stop him from taking me onto the roadway and possibly killing me,” Dolan told investigators.
Dolan also told police he had purchased a six-pack of beer before driving home, and had taken “a sip from the bottle.”
James Howe, the attorney representing the three teenagers and their families, said Thursday that he and his clients found the assertion that the Audi could have hit Dolan, “unbelievable and not-credible.”
“We felt from the beginning that a crime had been committed against these boys,” Howe added. “We’re pleased that [the Attorney General] came to these conclusions quickly.”
Howe said that the families are still exploring legal action including the possibility of civil litigation against Dolan, the police department and the city.
Dolan has been on administrative leave from the Pawtucket Police Department during the investigation, but a spokesperson said in the wake of the charges the department will seek to suspend Dolan without pay.
According to court documents, Dolan has served on the Pawtucket Police force for six years. He currently serves as a school resource officer at Slater Middle School. Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves declined to comment on any complaints that Dolan may have faced in his time on the force.
“Any incidents that happened in the past were handled in the past, if incidents were filed as an [Internal Affairs] investigation, or use of force, they would have been thoroughly vetted at that time,” Goncalves said Thursday.
Goncalves added that she could not comment further on the case, because of the Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights, a law that advocates are working to repeal because they feel it shields officers from accountability.
“Once the charges were filed, [Dolan] will be switched to leave without pay,” Goncalves said.
Jeremy Bernfeld contributed to this report.
