Man who opened fire on Providence police officer with AR-15 is sentenced

PROVIDENCE – A city man who shot at a police officer with an assault rifle in 2021 has been sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Luis Roman's overall sentence is 70 years with 30 years to serve for the shooting, as well as other related offenses, according to the office of Attorney General Peter F. Neronha.

Providence Superior Court Judge Robert Krause ordered those penalties on Monday. Ten of the years in Roman's 30-year prison term are not eligible for parole.

Roman fired an AR-15 at Providence Patrolman Robert Savage as the officer drove toward an apartment on Canton Street that Roman shared with a woman on Aug. 11, 2021.

Roman had assaulted the woman earlier that morning, striking her, choking her and hitting her with the rifle itself, according to prosecutors.

The victim tried to call 911, and as he assaulted her, Roman himself accidentally dialed 911.

When Savage arrived, illuminating the apartment with the spotlight on his cruiser, Roman opened fire. The officer backed away.

Roman fired 13 shots; two hit the cruiser.

He fled the scene, and police later captured him nearby.

Roman pleaded guilty to charges of assault with intent to murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, discharge of a firearm during an assault with a dangerous weapon, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, possession of a ghost gun, domestic strangulation, domestic assault with a dangerous weapon and use of a firearm during domestic assault with a dangerous weapon.

"The defendant’s intent here was clear: to kill or seriously injure a police officer coming to the aid of a victim of domestic abuse," Neronha said in a news release. "His conduct merits the harshest of penalties and deserves the decades of imprisonment imposed by court today"

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Judge gives man 30 years to serve for attacking RI officer with AR-15