Chief: suspect in Narragansett beach stabbing arrested; council orders stakeholder review of beach safety
June 01, 2026 | Narragansett, Washington County, Rhode Island
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Narragansett police reported an arrest in the May 19 pre-season stabbing at the town beach, and the council on June 1 unanimously instructed the town manager to convene a meeting of stakeholders to review and refine beach safety plans for the shoulder seasons.
Police Chief Ricus told the council an arrest warrant was signed for a suspect identified as Willie Medina; state police fugitive teams took the suspect into custody and he was charged with felony assault. The chief said Medina had documented gang affiliation and prior violent incidents. Ricus also described staffing that day and the immediate response: “We were there less than a minute,” he said of officer response time after the stabbing was reported.
Following the briefing, Councilor McN proposed a directive for the town manager to assemble Parks & Recreation, police, fire, DPW, school representatives, town CSOs and council liaisons to evaluate operations during high-crowd days before and after the official beach season. Council members emphasized proactive communication with area schools and regional partners and recommended using social media, school district outreach and parking-status messaging to set expectations for visiting groups.
Town Manager Jim Tierney said the department had been coordinating closely with the chief and other staff and asked the council to designate council liaisons to work on scheduling the meeting. Council designated Councilors Colonies and McN to coordinate with the manager; staff indicated an after-action review remains ongoing while the investigation continues.
In addition to the criminal update and the stakeholder motion, members and residents praised Parks & Recreation staff and the police for their on-the-ground management of concurrent large crowds and said they expected the stakeholder meeting to explore practical mitigations including visible adult supervision at lots and messaging to visiting schools and groups.
The council motion to direct the town manager to schedule the stakeholder meeting passed 5-0. The chief said the investigation remains active and that additional operational changes will be considered after the after-action review is concluded.
Police Chief Ricus told the council an arrest warrant was signed for a suspect identified as Willie Medina; state police fugitive teams took the suspect into custody and he was charged with felony assault. The chief said Medina had documented gang affiliation and prior violent incidents. Ricus also described staffing that day and the immediate response: “We were there less than a minute,” he said of officer response time after the stabbing was reported.
Following the briefing, Councilor McN proposed a directive for the town manager to assemble Parks & Recreation, police, fire, DPW, school representatives, town CSOs and council liaisons to evaluate operations during high-crowd days before and after the official beach season. Council members emphasized proactive communication with area schools and regional partners and recommended using social media, school district outreach and parking-status messaging to set expectations for visiting groups.
Town Manager Jim Tierney said the department had been coordinating closely with the chief and other staff and asked the council to designate council liaisons to work on scheduling the meeting. Council designated Councilors Colonies and McN to coordinate with the manager; staff indicated an after-action review remains ongoing while the investigation continues.
In addition to the criminal update and the stakeholder motion, members and residents praised Parks & Recreation staff and the police for their on-the-ground management of concurrent large crowds and said they expected the stakeholder meeting to explore practical mitigations including visible adult supervision at lots and messaging to visiting schools and groups.
The council motion to direct the town manager to schedule the stakeholder meeting passed 5-0. The chief said the investigation remains active and that additional operational changes will be considered after the after-action review is concluded.
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