State and local prosecutors said Monday that a Burlington police officer was justified in shooting and killing a mentally ill man who was coming at him with a shovel.
Attorney General Bill Sorrell and Chittenden County State’s Attorney T.J. Donovan conducted separate investigations into the Nov. 6 shooting of Wayne Brunette, 49, of Burlington and both reports found no basis to file charges against Cpl. Ethan Thibault, who fired the fatal shots.
Sorrell’s ruling said the officer acted properly under the standard for the use of deadly force.
“The office concluded, as a matter of law, that Burlington Police Department Corporal Ethan Thibault was legally justified in the use of deadly force when he discharged his firearm at Wayne Brunette. The legal standard for the use of deadly force is whether the officer reasonably believed that he or a third party was in imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury, and that deadly force was necessary to respond to that threat,” the AG’s report said.
Thibault and Cpl. Brent Navari were called to Brunette’s home by his mother, who lived downstairs from Brunette. When officers arrived they found Brunette wielding a shovel. The suspect first approached Navari but then turned toward Thibault in a threatening manner, the report said. Thibault fired two shots followed by two more when Brunette kept coming at the officer, according to the report.
Sorrell said the incident highlighted the need for more access to mental health providers.
“Hopefully, the unfortunate death of Mr. Brunette will cause a redoubling of efforts to reduce reliance on law enforcement as the first responders to persons experiencing a mental health crisis,” Sorrell said. “Further efforts must be made to provide meaningful access to mental health professionals in such circumstances.”
