Major Alister McGregor was accidentally shot and killed by a fellow officer while conducting a training exercise with the department's SWAT team.
The exercise included a scenario involving a hostage situation on board a school bus. Major McGregor was on board the bus when he was accidentally shot with an officer's sniper rifle. The officer had been granted permission to use his personal rifle during the exercise, but failed to clear the weapon of live ammunition before conducting a dry-fire. The officer was later indicted on involuntary manslaughter charges.
Major McGregor was a state expert on the use of deadly force and helped other Rhode Island police agencies draft recommendations on how to handle school shootings.
He had been with the East Providence Police Department for 16 years, and was posthumously promoted to the rank of Major. He is survived by his wife and five children.