Westerly man charged with murder

Westerly — Police charged a Westerly man with second-degree murder after they say he stabbed a man to death during an altercation Monday afternoon.

Mandell W. Tripp, 40, of White Rock Road, is being held in lieu of bond and is being held at the Adult Correctional Institute in Cranston.

Police said at 1:43 p.m. police responded to West Street for a report of a vehicle into a tree. Officers found the vehicle, off the roadway, against a tree. The lone occupant, Kevin P. Brown, 37, of South Kingstown, was still in the vehicle and unresponsive. Members from Westerly Ambulance Corps were on scene and removed the operator from the vehicle.

It was quickly determined that Brown had suffered what appeared to be a stab wound, police said. Medical personnel continued to treat Brown and transported him to the Westerly Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

Detectives on the scene spoke with witnesses and determined that some type of altercation had just taken place on Marriott Avenue, a short distance from the accident scene. Detectives responded to Marriott Avenue and subsequently brought Tripp to police headquarters for questioning.

The investigation remains ongoing.