[B]ARRE TOWN — Police were in an armed standoff with a man at a Barre Town gas station Wednesday afternoon for close to an hour and a half, according to witnesses.
No one was hurt, no shots were fired, and Henry Premont, 51, of Williamstown was eventually taken into custody. The incident began at 1:30 p.m. and law enforcement briefly set up a roadblock at the intersection of Route 63 and Route 14.
Police say Premont is the former boyfriend of Jody Herring who has been charged with first degree murder in the shooting death of Lara Sobel, a social worker. Herring is also the primary suspect in a triple homicide of three of her relatives.
A statement from police released late Wednesday night does not indicate there are any charges for Premont and a Washington County Superior Court clerk said he was not on the arraignment list for Thursday.
Dan Cavanaugh, chief deputy state’s attorney, is handling the case for the Washington County State’s Attorneys Office in Barre. Cavanaugh declined to comment Thursday morning.
When Herring was arrested for a DUI June 23 she told police she was going to Williamstown, which is where Premont lives.
Police involvement started when the Orange County Sheriff’s Department received a call from a relative who said Premont was outside the relative’s house sitting in a vehicle with a gun. Police later found him at Rickie’s Indian Restaurant at 509 South Barre Road.
Sunny Singh, 18, who was working the register at the gas station and eatery, said Premont, one of his regulars, came in to purchase two 24-ounce beers.
Police pulled into the parking lot while Singh was getting Premont’s change, and he told Singh that the officers were there for him. He had a handgun in a holster at his waist, according to Singh. Police say the gun was “inside his shirt.”
When Premont exited the store officers had their weapons pointed at him, Singh said, and the man responded by unholstering his own firearm. After that, Singh and other members of his family who were at the store ran for cover. Police say Premont appeared “agitated.”
Officers were eventually able to talk the man down, and he was taken into custody.
Premont eventually surrendered himself and a semiautomatic .380 handgun to police. A criminal investigation by the Vermont State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation is underway.
He was driving a black Jeep Cherokee with visible body damage, which police searched following the incident.
Saini Singh, 23, whose family owns the store, said Premont’s behavior had changed in recent weeks. She questioned whether he may have been taking drugs. Purchasing alcohol was out of character for him in the past, but recently he had begun drinking, she said.
Members of the Singh family said they were already on edge because of last week’s killings.
“Barre’s crazy right now,” Sunny Singh said, adding that every day seems to bring a new disturbance.
Gov. Peter Shumlin issued a statement Tuesday night thanking law enforcement “for moving quickly and efficiently” to secure Henry Premont.
“Their fast action ensured public safety,” Shumlin said in a statement. “Police were able to locate Mr. Premont, remove his weapon and guarantee he was no longer a threat. This has been a difficult time for all Vermonters, but perhaps most for those who live and work in the Central Vermont area where this terrible violence has occurred. I know that today’s incident may add to that feeling of uncertainty, but I am thankful that this situation ended swiftly and without injury.
“We are remaining vigilant in terms of security measures in our state buildings and facilities, and coordinating closely with state and local law enforcement,” Shumlin said. “State employees may continue to notice an increased security presence, and we continue to conduct a full review of security procedures. Schools and other facilities are also reviewing their security systems, recognizing that the violence we thought could not impact our close-knit communities can hit tragically close to home.”
Editor’s note: This story was updated on Thursday morning.
