Update: Wounded man in Lincoln target of police sting
3:57 PM Fri, Nov 06, 2009 | Permalink
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By W. Zachary Malinowski LINCOLN, R.I. -- A Massachusetts man with a long, violent criminal record was shot in the face when he tussled with an undercover state police detective during a sting at Lincoln Woods State Park early Friday afternoon, said Col. Brendan P. Doherty. Arjusz Roszkowski, 26, of North Reading, was planning to rob a bank, so he arranged to buy a 12-gauge shotgun and a 9 mm Glock from a man he believed was also a criminal, said Doherty. But the seller was actually detective Christopher Zarrella, who posed as a criminal and arranged to meet Roszkowski at the park, Doherty said. As more than a dozen members of the state police intelligence and tactical units waited in the woods just 15 to 20 feet away, Roszkowski gave Zarrella money for the guns, Doherty said. When the deal went down, Zarrella identified himself as a state police detective, Doherty said. That, he said, is when Roszkowski reached into his waistband and pulled out a loaded 9 mm handgun. Zarrella tackled the man to the ground, and they wrestled for control of the gun, Doherty said. The gun suddenly went off, he said, shooting Roszkowski in the chin, through his throat and out his ear. Roszkowski was taken to Rhode Island Hospital, where he is expected to recover from his injuries, Doherty said. Zarrella had powder burns on his hands and one arm, but did not need medical attention. By 1:30 p.m., some of the state troopers who had descended on the park were seen leaving the park's entrance off Twin River Road. Forty-five minutes earlier, leaders in the department -- including the second in command -- were driving to the scene, according to Lt. James Demers, the department's assistant detective commander. A 28-year-old college residence hall director at Providence College, Arthur Dylag, 28, said he was running the loop around Olney Pond when off to his left he noticed a couple of black SUVs. At least five men in army fatigues, amed with rifles, emerged from one of the SUVs yelling and screaming, Dylag said. He said he could not see who the men were yelling at. He continued to run, and witihin a minute heard what sounded like a firecracker but might have been a gunshot. "It looked like a ROTC drill," said Dylag, who recalled seeing ROTC doing similar training exercises at Providence College. At Lincoln Woods, shortly before 1 p.m., a North Providence resident described police SWAT team activity that she had witnessed. Christeen Barbado, 52, said she was walking her dog, Bailey, along a road in the park when she saw what she described as a police SWAT team running toward an area in a parking lot with their rifles drawn. Barbado said that after the officers running caught her attention, she saw a body on the ground. She spoke with a man in the area who told her he had heard a gunshot, she said. At 2:10 p.m., a black Ford Mustang was towed from Lincoln Woods.
-- With reports from Journal Staff Writers Kate Bramson and Mark Reynolds. This story was first published at 12:56 p.m. and was updated at 1:18, 1:48 and 3:22 p.m. 
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Where is Alfani29 with his apology...?
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So, the gun in the sale was loaded? Not to be critical but what if it went off in Trooper Zarella's face? Bad guy deserves it, that's what you get, but to put one our troopers at risk?? And the public who walk the woods every day??
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WHY WHY WHY are the State Police conducting a sting operation in a public state park, during the day, while CIVILIANS are around?! This is a complete disregard for the lives of the residents of Lincoln and surrounding towns who use this park on a daily basis. SO messed up.
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Uhhh...why did they use a loaded gun in this sting? Brilliant.
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Is the dogs name really important info?
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Don't you people read before you post? The guy didn't use the gun Zarrella had given him; he pulled his owned loaded gun out of his waistband!!!
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rnlrock,
Are you serious? You have absolutely no idea how things work. You have no regard for the officers involved. You are a typical anti-police fool. To those who think the gun was loaded....use common sense. He had another gun already. Use your brains people.
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"when Roszkowski reached into his waistband and pulled out a loaded 9 mm handgun."
I'm pretty sure this means that the criminal reached into his OWN pants and pulled out the 9mm. Did you really picture a violent criminal reaching into another man's pants?
You guys are right. The State Troopers should have invited the guy somewhere safe to buy the gun, like the Police Barracks or the State Police Training grounds. That way everyone would be totally safe from harm and he would never suspect he was about to be arrested.
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Why don't you morons read the story. Nowhere does it say he pulled the same gun he bought!
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If I read correctly the gun that was loaded belonged to the criminal.
"When the deal went down, Zarrella identified himself as a state police detective, Doherty said. That, he said, is when Roszkowski reached into his waistband and pulled out a loaded 9 mm handgun".
Please read more carefully.
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Read the article geniuses. The guy had a loaded 9mm in his waistband. The one for sale was not loaded. Bad idea to be doing this kind of operation in a public park.
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The gun Roszkowski was carrying was loade. That is reportedly the one that went off.
"When the deal went down, Zarrella identified himself as a state police detective, Doherty said. That, he said, is when Roszkowski reached into his waistband and pulled out a loaded 9 mm handgun."
I agree though that a well used state park on a nice day is an odd place for a gun sale sting.
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I don't think the gun the criminal pulled out and tried to use was the same one he just purchased.
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If you idiots read the story the gun man pulled a gun from his belt it did not say that the guns the officer was trying to sell was loaded or not again pay attension to the story.
We wonder why Rhode Island can't read.
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Great job State Police!!!
They risked life and limb to protect the public, and managed to conduct the sting in a park instead of a busy street corner where criminals would rather do business.
Yes, a PUBLIC PARK, where criminals frequently ply their trade. A park is not sacred ground consecrated by the Governor and blessed by the Independant Man to be free of wrong doers.
You would think the operation went down on the grounds of a grade school by the reaction of some.
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I think it's funny that the first three posts were asking why the cop used a loaded gun or something, then the next NINE are people saying "OMG read the post moron, it was a different gun. Can't you read???"
Does it really take nine posts to say the same thing? We get it already.
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That is one well trained trooper. A successful take down move when a loaded weapon is pulled on you is the result of superb training. Excellent job, Trooper Zarrella!
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So, where do you Einstein's propose the deal should have gone down? Does the article state exactly where in the park this incident took place? No. It only states at Lincoln Woods. It doesn't say in an open parking lot or at the beach area.
I feel Det. Zarrella was a bit over zealous announcing himself as the State Police when he had many intelligence and tactical units only 15 to 20 feet away from the scene of the transaction. He could have simply walked away from the subject and had the tactical unit take down the guy. Isn't that the reason they were there? Det. Zarrella is lucky to be alive, today. He almost bought the farm.
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You're right. This man could have killed someone during a robbery. Lincoln Woods is a very big place. They may have been nowhere near where an innocent bystander could have been put in jeopardy. They risk their lives to keep us safe. We need to give them the benefit of the doubt and thank them for risking their lives to protect us.
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Hey Ed and the others who are so quick to call us morons for our posts asking about the loaded gun...see the words in the title - UPDATE? See that's because the original posting of the story did not include the information about the suspect pulling his own gun. It clearly left the impression that he struggled with the cop for the gun used in the sting. I can and did read the entire story before posting.
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Kpm1118 -
In the first update of the story, it DID NOT SAY that the gun that fired was from his waistband. The original story led to believe that it was the same gun used in the transaction.
As for being an anti-police fool, I'll have you know that I come from a family of officers, my boyfriend and his father are both officers, and I have a bachelors degree in Criminal Justice and work in the field. Thank you very much.
I do, however, still feel as though it was careless on the part of sting to do so in Lincoln Woods
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CAN YOU SPELL ENTRAPMENT? I HOPE HIS LAWYER CAN OR HE'S GOING T SPEND CHRISTMAS AWAY FROM HIS FAMILY.
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RI dept of public unsafety. badges turned to crowns with no regard
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I have to agree I think the state pd should have use more sense when picking a spot to have the deal gone down. Knowing the type of person they were dealing with, they must have suspected trouble. Its a good thing when the gun went off it was not aimed at a jogger?
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