Authorities said another person was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries. A vehicle from the Medical Examiner’s Office was at the scene.
The suspect stole the police cruiser during a traffic stop on Route 146 at around 9 a.m.
Rhode Island State Police Lt. Col. Joseph Philbin said the car was later found abandoned on Vineyard Street.
A gun, which was in the police cruiser when the car was stolen was still in there when police found the abandoned vehicle. Police used a GPS tracker in the cruiser to locate it.
Shots were fired near Providence Place Mall and police advised people to stay away from the area and the I-95 highway nearby.
WPRI spoke to a security guard at a nearby convention center who heard several shots fired.
Police know the identity of the dead suspect but have not yet release it.
Four schools were on lockdown as police hunted the suspect.
Police officers walked with rifles out and dogs on leashes in the area where the police cruiser was found.
Police swarmed near a white pickup truck on a ramp to I-95. At least a dozen bullet holes can be seen on the driver’s side of the car.
Authorities closed I-95 as they investigated the scene.
