Man shoots landlady with AR-15 when eviction turns into armed confrontation, police say.
PROVIDENCE – An apartment dweller armed with an assault rifle fatally shot a 35-year-old woman on Monday as she tried to evict him, according to Providence police.
The landlady, Jennie Jensen, was among a small group of people involved in an apparent armed confrontation with the man in the Olneyville neighborhood, said Providence police Detective Maj. David Lapatin.
Jensen and two other people, including her brother, had climbed some stairs to approach the man's apartment door, which someone kicked in during the exchange, Lapatin said.
"There were some weapons we believe that were in the possession of the people entering," said Lapatin, who did not specify who was armed.
Rufus Watson opened fire with an AR-15 ghost gun from inside the third-floor apartment, Lapatin said, adding that Watson asserts he was defending himself.
Investigators recovered the AR-15 and charged Watson with a weapons offense, but they have not charged anyone in the landlady's death, Lapatin said.
Police will gather information on the shooting to present to prosecutors and a grand jury, Lapatin said, adding that the grand jury would make a decision on the death.
"We have to investigate it and get to the absolute truth and the facts of what happened," Lapatin said.
"This is a terrible situation," he said.
"It's something that we have to get through," he said. "It's something that the families have to get through. We'll work with them and we'll work with the attorney general's office."
The shooting drew police to a third-floor apartment in a house at 75 Prudence St. at about 2:30 p.m. on Monday, Lapatin said.
Jensen was found in the hallway of the third-floor apartment, Lapatin said.
She was pronounced dead at Rhode Island Hospital.
Police found Watson in the apartment.
The assault rifle was the only gun police recovered at the scene, Lapatin said.
Jensen's two companions, he said, were not injured and ran from the house.
He said he couldn't comment on the number of shots fired.
Investigators have been told that Watson's cousin had previously lived in the apartment, said Lapatin.
Watson moved in, he said, and his cousin left.
Lapatin said Watson is charged with possession of a firearm after being convicted of a crime of violence, two counts of possession of a magazine that can hold more than 10 rounds, possession of a ghost gun and possession of a rifle barrel of less than 16 inches.
He appeared in District Court before Judge Anthony Capraro, who set bail at $100,000 with surety, according to court records. Surety bail requires a defendant to post 10% of the amount in cash or the full amount in property.
Lapatin said he believed Watson was held.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Landlady is dead after armed eviction encounter with man carrying AR-15
