By Steve Klamkin WPRO News

A young North Providence police officer was “completely justified” when he shot a man brandishing what turned out to be a replica handgun while responding to a call for a man threatening to harm himself.

The incident at about 8:30 Sunday night at a home at 14 Manning Street in North Providence resulted from a confrontation between Richard B. Solitro, 32, and North Providence officer Mathieu Florio, 23, who joined the department in October after working for approximately 18 months with the Tiverton Police.

“He (Solitro) exited his vehicle, he was holding a firearm in his hand,” said North Providence Deputy Police Chief Arthur Martins.

“The officer gave him verbal commands to drop the firearm. He did not comply. The officer continued to give him commands, and eventually the officer fire several shots, striking the male. They immediately rendered aid to him, medical aid and the male was eventually transported to Rhode Island Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.” He would not further describe Solitro’s injuries.

The weapon turned out to be a “true to scale” replica of a 9mm Beretta pistol.

“I’ve been a law enforcement officer for over 30 years and if that was pointed at me I would be 100 percent certain that was a firearm,” Martins said.

“Based on the facts and circumstances we have discovered thus far, the officer’s actions appear to be completely justified.” He said Officer Florio was assigned to desk duty pending the investigation by the North Providence Police, the Rhode Island State and the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office, in accordance with the Attorney General’s “Protocol Regarding Use of Deadly Force Incidents and Custodial Deaths”.

He said after his release from the hospital, Solitro would be charged with “felony assault by use of devices similar in appearance to a firearm”, which calls for up to three years imprisonment for incidents in which there is no serious bodily injury.