East Providence Man Approaches Police With Rifle-Like Weapon

EAST PROVIDENCE (WBSM) — An East Providence man is under arrest after police safely disarmed him of what appeared to be an assault-style rifle Tuesday morning.

Police Respond to Reports of Man With Weapon

According to East Providence Police, Officer Josemar Silva responded at about 8:43 a.m. today to an address on Waterman Avenue following reports of a man entering a gray Mustang while carrying what appeared to be a firearm.

Once Officer Silva arrived on scene, the gray Mustang approached him and stopped. Silva’s body-worn camera captured the incident. The driver, later identified as Edmund J. Ciccone, 53, started talking to Silva and smiled before Silva noticed a black assault-style weapon on the front passenger seat, with a magazine inserted.

“Officer Silva ordered Ciccone to place the vehicle in park, keep his hands visible and exit the vehicle,” police said in a release. “Instead, Ciccone reached toward the weapon, prompting Officer Silva to draw his department-issued firearm.”

Officer Quickly Secures Rifle-Like Weapon

Silva then reached inside the vehicle and secured the weapon before handing it to another officer. He then holstered his firearm and removed Ciccone from the vehicle, placing him in custody. In the police body-worn camera footage, Ciccone can be seen smiling at the officer throughout the exchange, and then as he is being removed from the vehicle, telling officers to “calm down.”

Investigation Reveals Air Gun and Cocaine

After investigating, the officers determined the weapon was a Umarex Steel Strike air gun. As police searched Ciccone, they removed what they said was “a clear plastic container holding a white powdery substance believed to be cocaine” from his pants pocket. They also recovered a pocket knife, and said a “spring-loaded baton was located inside the vehicle’s driver-side door.”

Ciccone was arrested and charged with possession of cocaine, and possession of a prohibited weapon other than a firearm.

He was taken to 6th District Court and transferred to the custody of the Rhode Island Sheriffs.

Police Chief Praises Officer’s Restraint

"Our officers showed tremendous restraint during this incident," East Providence Police Chief Michael J. Rapoza said. "The peaceful resolution of this situation highlights the high level of professionalism displayed by our officers on a daily basis. Our officers acted in accordance with their training, and thanks to their split-second decision-making, the situation ended peacefully and no shots were fired."