Three Bristol schools delay start after police emergency, man grazed by bullet
A 32-year-old Bristol man faces felony charges including a count of attempted murder Wednesday in the aftermath of an early-morning shooting that involved a man who had followed him to his home, according to a prosecutor.
The other man told police he had followed Ari Brisbon after he saw him striking a woman in a car ahead of him, said the prosecutor, Jessica Villella, who spoke at Brisbon's appearance in District Court in Providence.
After arriving at 402 High St., Brisbon retrieved a 9 mm handgun from the residence and opened fire on the witness, grazing the man's clothing, hitting a headrest in the car, and scattering at least 11 shell casings at the scene, Villella told Judge Melissa DuBose.
The shooting incident generated a large police response, an hours-long standoff and the evacuation of some residents and also delayed the start of classes at three Bristol schools. A state police tactical team was deployed.
It all started around 1:30 a.m. when the witness saw what he believed to be an incident of domestic violence in another vehicle, according to Burke. The witness followed the car to an apartment at 402 High St., said Bristol police Maj. Brian Burke.
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After the couple went inside, a man emerged from the first-floor apartment and fired multiple shots at the witness's car while the witness was talking to the Bristol police on the phone, according to Burke. One bullet smashed a window and grazed the witness's clothing near the shoulder; he was not injured, according to Burke.
The police believe the man who fired the shots was the same man involved in the alleged domestic incident, Burke said earlier. (The witness initially told police it was a rifle but the police later determined it was a handgun, according to Burke.)
Police seized a handgun at the home, Villella said.
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Responding to the call, Bristol police officers and Rhode Island State Police troopers set up a perimeter around the apartment building and told residents via Facebook to stay away.
The police evacuated residents of the second and third floors of the apartment building. At about 6 a.m., a state police tactical unit approached the apartment building, "engaging" both Brisbon and the woman with a loudspeaker, according to Burke. They came out separately and were taken into custody, he said.
Shortly after 6 a.m., the police posted the following message to Facebook: "The scene is now safe/secure. No longer an active situation. Please remain clear of the area for investigation that is still underway."
The start of classes at the following schools was delayed two hours, according to the police: Guiteras Elementary School, Colt Andrews School and Mount Carmel School.
According to the police, Brisbon faces the following charges: assault with intent to commit specified felonies; felony assault/dangerous weapon or substance; discharge of a firearm when committing a crime of violence; lacking a license or permit required to carry a pistol and firing shots in a compact area.
Later, Wednesday, Brisbon appeared in court. Villella asked DuBose to set bail at $150,000.
Calling the charge "very serious," DuBose set bail at $75,000, which meant he had to deposit $7,500 with the court to go free or give the court a lien on property worth $75,000. He was held immediately after his appearance.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Bristol shooting: Witness to domestic violence grazed by gun shot
