A man wanted on several arrest warrants was apprehended on the Winooski River bank in Waterbury around 1 p.m. Friday after leading state police and other law enforcement officers on a roughly two-hour chase.
The pursuit began around 11 a.m. when a trooper in Waterbury spotted 28-year-old Kyle Pickett, who then fled from police, according to Lt. Robert Currier, a Vermont Fish & Wildlife game warden.
The chase moved from Stowe Street to Blush Hill in the Blackberry Lane neighborhood where resident Mike Lafayette came face-to-face with Pickett. “I work from home. I had gone down to Shaw’s for a half hour and came home and saw him in my backyard looking in the windows,” Lafayette said.
Thinking quickly, Lafayette said he went into his garage and grabbed a two-by-four. He confronted Pickett, who had a knife in a sheath hanging from around his neck. Lafayette managed to take several photos before chasing Pickett from his property toward nearby condos. Lafayette said no damage was done at his home and there had been no break-in.
Pickett crossed through a work area where a crew from Waterbury Public Works is working on a water line project. Public Works Director Bill Woodruff said workers saw Pickett, who fled into the woods toward Interstate 89.
State police had multiple personnel in Waterbury on Friday morning for a retirement gathering. Numerous troopers and other officers fanned out from Blush Hill to the Butler and Wallace street neighborhoods off North Main Street and down along U.S. Route 2.
Pickett made his way to Dac Rowe Park across to the bank of the Winooski River. Multiple officers in state police cruisers, unmarked DMV vehicles, and Fish and Wildlife vehicles gathered at the Winooski Street end of the park and at the bridge over the river.
Officers spread out along both sides of the river, surrounding Pickett who was taken into custody by Currier after a short chase along the water’s edge.
Lt. Charles Winn, commander of the Vermont State Police in Berlin, was on the scene. He said Pickett was wanted on several arrest warrants, some involving alleged vehicle thefts.
During the chase at about 11:15 a.m., state police notified the Harwood Unified Union School District about the situation and administrators at Brookside Primary School on Stowe Street were instructed to “secure the perimeter.”
“Students were brought inside and we ensured that all exterior windows and doors were closed and locked,” said Superintendent Mike Leichliter. No one was allowed to enter or exit the building during that time. School activities continued as normal until 1:15 p.m. when police gave school officials an “all clear” update, Leichliter said in an email.
