Friday, December 11, 2015
A gun used in the Paris terrorist attacks that killed 130 people has been reported linked to a company that operates in Vermont.
The Associated Press reported Friday that an M92 semiautomatic pistol fired in the attacks had been exported from Serbia to Century International Arms, based in Delray Beach, Fla. That company has long maintained a large facility in Georgia, Vt. The AP did not report that the weapon specifically came from Vermont, and said how it got back to Europe was not known.
Vermont Public Radio reported that Brady Toensing, a lawyer in Vermont speaking for Century International Arms, said in an emailed statement Friday that the company is cooperating with authorities.
“We have received an unconfirmed report that a pistol that was legally imported into the United States and legally sold to a licensed, domestic firearms dealer more than two years ago may have been recovered from the scene of the Paris shootings,” Toensing said, according to VPR. “We are unable to confirm that report, but are assisting authorities with their investigation into this matter.”
As Seven Days has previously reported, Century International Arms has maintained a low-profile presence in Vermont for decades. The company sells a number of assault rifles that news investigations over the years have linked to Mexican drug lords, the Nicaraguan Contras and other controversial organizations.
In 2013, Seven Days reported:
But Century’s global reach extends well beyond Vermont. Its online catalogue features a dizzying array of pistols, rifles and shooting accessories, offered for sale to law enforcement and the public. They include the M16, M60, RPK and numerous variants of the iconic Russian Kalashnikov. Century’s C93 semiautomatic rifle — featured on Ted Nugent’s July 2011 “Spirit of the Wild” TV show on the Outdoor Channel — comes equipped with two 40-round magazines and a bayonet “while supplies last,” the catalog reads.
Tags: Paris , assault weapons , Century International Arms , Web Only
Monday, November 2, 2015
Two Burlington police officers were legally justified in shooting and wounding a distraught Colchester man who threatened to kill police and brandished a rifle during a two-hour standoff in September, Chittenden County State’s Attorney T.J. Donovan said Monday.
Detective Richard Volp and Sgt. Brian LaBarge fired 15 shots at James Hemingway, 20.
“It’s clear that criminal charges … are not supported,” Donovan said during a press conference. Attorney General Bill Sorrell also cleared the officers of wrongdoing on Monday.
Volp and LaBarge turned off their body cameras prior to the shooting, fearing that the red light that indicates the cameras are activated would give away their location, Donovan said.
But Vermont Public Radio's Taylor Dobbs reported that the officers could have simply turned off the light without shutting down the camera. The camera's instruction manual has a section entitled “Turning off the Camera LEDs,” which explains, "for some situations, you may wish to turn off the lights on your camera.”
In response to the VPR story, Donovan told the radio station that he would review the statements that Volp and LaBarge gave to Vermont State Police about the shooting to see if they were "inaccurate."
Tags: Burlington police , T.J. Donovan , James Hemingway , body cameras , Jennifer Morrison , Image , Web Only
Thursday, October 15, 2015
“This campaign is really a continuation of what we started three years ago,” Donovan told the crowd. “Now let’s finish this race and let’s win this one in 2016.”
This time, Donovan has no clear opposition. Incumbent Bill Sorrell, who Donovan nearly defeated in 2012, has declared he won’t seek reelection after 19 years in office. And Donovan, who’s been Chittenden County state’s attorney for nine years, has built a broad coalition of supporters that suggests he might not face much opposition.
That was on display Thursday, as a who's who list of those active in Vermont politics — from Progressives to moderate Democrats — turned out to back the 41-year-old Donovan, who announced his plans to run in June.
Tags: T.J. Donovan , Bill Sorrell , Vermont politics , Image , Web Only
Monday, September 28, 2015
The department returned two pairs of night-vision goggles — its last remaining equipment from what is known as the Pentagon's 1033 program — and will not accept any gear in the future, del Pozo said.
The chief cited national concerns about the program, which transfers the Pentagon's excess assault rifles, armored vehicles and cars, and other tactical gear to local cops.
Opponents say the program exacerbates a trend toward the militarization of local police agencies.
“The militarization of local police departments is a genuine concern in our nation,” said del Pozo, who started work earlier this month after leaving the New York City Police Department, in a prepared statement. “There are times when military style equipment is essential for public safety, but they are very rare. Amassing a worst-case scenario arsenal of military equipment results in officers seeing everyday police work through a military lens. When I realized what a small role the military played in equipping our police, I concluded it was better to return the items and let our 1033 program memorandum of understanding expire.”
A Seven Days report in November found that in recent years, Vermont police agencies acquired 158 assault rifles, 14 military Humvees, and scores of scopes, sights and other equipment from the program, often with little public scrutiny. Agencies had requested more than twice as much military equipment than they got.
Tags: Burlington , police , Brandon Del Pozo , Miro Weinberger , Image , Web Only
Thursday, September 17, 2015
Eleven inmates have been released from prison earlier than scheduled, and DOC supervision ended for 73 people who were on probation or on furlough, DOC Commissioner Andy Pallito told Seven Days.
Many more inmates and probationers likely will be released earlier than scheduled in the coming months. Pallito said the 84 people were identified within the first 250 cases that DOC has reviewed since receiving the June ruling from Bennington Superior Court Judge John Wesley.
“It’s hard for us to know really how many cases it affects,” Pallito said.
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Thursday, September 3, 2015
Instead, a media scrum met him outside, with questions about an arrest made the night before of a Burlington police officer, Ethan Thibault, who was charged with domestic assault.
Del Pozo faced the TV cameras calmly. It’s not the first time he’s publicly faced uncomfortable subject matter since coming to Burlington: His confirmation hearing overflowed with people concerned about his background as a member of the New York City Police Department. Del Pozo, who met with many of his critics and gave interviews about his history, mentioned several times Wednesday that he was eager to talk with residents.
“I apologize for the press,” del Pozo told the gathering of roughly 30 people, who found themselves on camera as they sipped coffee and ate bagels. The new chief, who's continuing former chief Mike Schirling's tradition of scheduling regular coffee get-togethers with citizens, explained the charge that's been made against Thibault. The officer's name is familiar to many New North End residents. Two years ago, Thibault fatally shot a mentally ill man in the neighborhood.
Tags: Burlington police department , Brandon del Pozo , NYPD , Image , Web Only
Thursday, August 13, 2015
Around 1:20 p.m., a person related to Henry Premont, 51, reported Premont was in a vehicle outside a home in Williamstown with a gun, Vermont State Police said. While police responded, Premont fled.
A few minutes later, state police found his car outside Rickie's Indian Restaurant and Gas Station, a convenience store at the intersection of routes 14 and 63 in Barre. In the parking lot, Premont drew a handgun from his shirt and "appeared agitated," police said.
Troopers drew their weapons and contained Premont while moving civilians to safety, police said. Authorities blocked off roads in the area.
Tags: Jody Herring , Lara Sobel , Barre , DCF , police , Henry Premont , Image , Web Only
Wednesday, August 12, 2015
Patrick Fennessey was receiving care for substance abuse and mental health problems at an outpatient home earlier this year. When his caregiver there was found intoxicated, Fennessey was transferred to the inpatient Brattleboro Retreat hospital, the report said. Then his health insurance coverage ran out.
That's when the Department of Corrections charged Fennessey, who had a lengthy record of nonviolent crimes, with violating his furlough by failing to find a place to live, DOC Commissioner Andy Pallito said. He was then incarcerated in Southern State Correctional Facility in Springfield.
Distraught, Fennessey, 32, decided to hang himself in April, in hopes that once he was rescued, the DOC would release him. Instead, Fennessey died on April 25. He had survived previous suicide attempts.
"Patrick told his friends that he would attempt suicide to 'make a case,' causing DOC and others to respond to why he remained incarcerated for an incident involving his assigned caregiver that was not his fault," the report says. "Patrick began to consider committing self-mutilation and other self-harm as a tool to encourage [state agencies] to communicate better and move faster to get him back [in the community.]"
Tags: Matt Valerio , Andy Pallito , Dick Sears , DOC , prison , inmates , Patrick Fennessey , Image , Web Only
Wednesday, August 5, 2015
Karri Benoir, 23, has been charged with second-degree murder. She drove a Toyota Corolla on July 30 and struck a Honda Civic driven by Brendon Cousino, 30, of Richmond. He died at the scene.
After the initial crash, a truck driven by 57-year-old Shane Libbey of Swanton hit Benoir's car. Libbey was not injured.
Benoir was scheduled to appear in Chittenden Superior Court Thursday but was still hospitalized with injuries at the University of Vermont Medical Center. The arraignment could be held at the hospital if she is not released, police said.
Cousino was married with three daughters. He was a veteran EMT with the Richmond Rescue squad, according to the Burlington Free Press.
Vermont's second-degree murder law includes a provision for defendants who act with a“wanton disregard of the likelihood that death or great bodily harm would result." The charge comes with a 20-year minimum and lifetime maximum sentence.
Tags: Vermont State Police , Karri Benoir , Interstate 89 , Image , Web Only
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
“I wonder why this happened, why we got this guy, why the mayor was so anxious to push this through,” Baird said at a meeting at the Peace & Justice Center in Burlington.
Two weeks after the Burlington City Council unanimously confirmed Brandon del Pozo as the city’s new police chief, some residents remain infuriated at a process they say was rushed, ignored their concerns and leaves them mistrustful.
Del Pozo, 40, was chosen after a months-long search involving a field of about 30 candidates seeking to succeed retiring chief Michael Schirling. Del Pozo is slated to start work September 1. Del Pozo has spent his 18-year career with the New York City Police Department. That raised suspicion among some about whether he was part of controversial NYPD practices over the years.
Tags: Burlington Police Department , New York Police Department , Brandon del Pozo , Miro Weinberger , Image , Web Only