PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – A report authored by the Providence Police Department has recommended a host of changes following a deadly officer-involved shooting on an on-ramp to I-95 last year.

The 10-page report, reviewed by the Target 12 Investigators, found communication among Providence police officers was good and well-coordinated, helping to cut through a chaotic day. But there was a breakdown in their communication with staff at Rhode Island Hospital.

“Providence Fire Department Personnel at Rhode Island Hospital were met with questions by nurses and hospital staff believing the incident was an active shooter incident,” the report found. “This breakdown of communication had the hospital in a state of particular alert which pulled resources from conducting other medical service.”

Providence Public Safety Commissioner Steven Paré said officials weren’t able to pinpoint where hospital staff heard it was an active shooter situation, but said it could have come from misinformation on social media.

“We looked at how we could better communicate because we have a direct line into the emergency department,” Paré said. “Was there something we said that we had misinformation and we relayed to them?”

Christina Spaight O’Reilly, a spokesperson for the hospital, said the communication issue did not lead to any major disruptions such as having to divert emergencies to other hospitals.

“There was no change or disruption to patient care that day,” O’Reilly said in an email.

The shooting on Nov. 9, 2017, was sparked when defendant Donald Morgan stole a state police cruiser on Route 146 by slipping into the front seat when a trooper stopped to assist in a car accident.

The search for Morgan ended when officers opened fire on another suspect police thought was involved, and who was trying to get away from police.

Police blocked the on-ramp next to the Providence Place mall, boxing in the driver of a pickup truck who was fleeing police. Joseph Santos, 32, was killed and his passenger, Christine Demers, was seriously hurt.

After reviewing the incident – which was captured on a series of R.I. Department of Transportation highway cameras – Pare said the department will be changing its policy on high-speed chases.

“We’re trained to get the bad guy and when somebody doesn’t stop for police that’s a person that we are trained to apprehend and sometimes we go to an extreme in that apprehension,” said Paré. “We have looked at our policy and we expect to make some changes to our policy in the near future.”

The after-action report also said investigators had difficulty processing the large crime scene, which closed the on-ramp to I-95 for hours.

“The difficulty to efficiently and accurately process and map out an especially large crime scene without a computerized crime scene 3D and measurement system,” according to the report.

The department requested funds for such a system in the 2018 budget, but it was denied. Lindsay Lague, a department spokesperson, said they are trying again this year. The system the department wants to buy costs roughly $76,000 for a two-year contract, according to Lague.

The report also raised concerns that officers and Rhode Island state troopers were firing from different locations into the truck and “crossfire between the multiple agencies involved caused for officer safety to become a concern.”

The report recommended “training between agencies that interact frequently should occur to prevent communication and tactical issues which could lead to officer safety concerns.”

Paré said most officers and troopers were to one side of the truck, but “we did have civilians that were there.”

Paré said the video is now being used in training.

The report also highlighted things that went right that chaotic day, including effective communication between police officers that was spearheaded by a single coordinator, in this case Lt. Michelle Guerette.

The report also credited “a well-managed scene and investigation” due to strong “command and control” from the chief on down.

Besides the 3D camera, the department is also considering purchasing a large tent-like cover after several civilian-flown drones were seen hovering over the scene.

Paré said the department hasn’t obtained the crime scene tent yet.

The Rhode Island State Police declined to provide WPRI 12 with its own after-action report.

“After discussing this with our legal team, we concluded that this is not a public document,” Laura Meade Kirk, a state police spokesperson, said in an email. “It was prepared for internal review and involves work product and deliberative process.”

Tim White (twhite@wpri.com) is the Target 12 investigative reporter and host of Newsmakers for WPRI 12 and Fox Providence. Follow him on Twitter and on Facebook