WPD: Shotgun Threat Earns Cranston Man Assault Charge

WARWICK, RI — Warwick Police charged a Cranston man with felony assault after a reported shotgun threat, pointing the firearm at a driver parked near the Burger King at 1010 Bald Hill Road July 19 at 9:07 p.m.

Two days later, on July 21 at 12:38 p.m., Warwick Police and Cranston Police arrested the man, Philip Calabro, 31, of 55 Everly St., Cranston, RI, at his home after his brief attempt to resist arrest by retreating inside. During the arrest, officers observed a .22 caliber Ruger rifle in Calabro’s living room, laying on a workout bench. They also seized the shotgun from the rear of Calabro’s Honda CRV SUV, according to Warwick Police Records.

In an interview, the victim said the man who threatened him pointed the shotgun out the window of the CRV at him where he was parked in a Jeep Chreokee near the parking islands between Burger King’s lot and the vacant unit adjacent to Autozone.  and made threatening comments in a monotone voice. He described the man as in his 30s, with chin-strap facial hair and acne scars. The CRV was light blue, with a RI Lighthouse design plate, according to Det. Tyler Stone’s report.

Stone ran the plate and vehicle description through the WPD’s FLOCK traffic surveillance camera system, finding a likely match, registered to Calabro, whose DMV photo also matched the victim’s description. The records also included Calabro’s address.

Stone and fellow WPD officers found the CRV parked at the address, at the rear entrance, and called Cranston Police to assist. Stone looked inside the CRV, finding the shotgun described by the victim laying inside the rear of the SUV, uncovered and easily seen from outside the vehicle, according to the report.

Stone knocked on the door and after several minuntes, Calabro answered. Eventually, Stone was able to persuade Calabro to come out on the top step to speak with him. During that conversation, Calabro said he had been at the Burger King that night, where he had confronted someone he suspected had been part of an earlier effort to shoot him. He denied making the shotgun threat against the victim but admitted to having the firearm in the SUV, “properly stored,” he said, according to the report.

Stone noted Calabro’s account of events appeared delusional and not based in reality. Calabro grew angry and went back into his home, then came back out to the top of the steps. WPD Sgt. Gregory Johnson told him he would have to come quietly with them because he was under arrest for assault.

Instead, Calabro fled back into his home. A Cranston officer broke down the door and he, Stone, Johnson and another Cranston officer entered the home, finding Calabro just inside, in the kitchen.  The officers arrested him and escorted him out of the house, after which he asked them to retrieve a shirt, shoes, and keys from the home, according to the report.

During that retrieval, officers found the .22 caliber Ruger rifle in the living room on the bench. Stone noted that CPD has filed an Extreme Risk Protection Order / “Red Flag” for Calabro.

Police seized the shotgun, a Mossberg “Maverick” 12 GA, loaded, with five 70mm Fiocchi rounds. Video from businesses’ cameras pointed at the location at the time of the assault showed the SUV and Jeep at the scene, but did not provide views of the shotgun being brandished, according to the report.

Calabro was later released on $3,000 surety bail,  and is scheduled for a court screening on the charge in Third Division District Court on Oct. 23.