A Winooski man who police say held two patrons hostage for hours in a Burlington bar on Monday has pleaded not guilty to nine charges – including kidnapping and assault – stemming from the incident.
Transported from the Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans, Tyshawn Lee, 23, appeared briefly Wednesday for an arraignment in Chittenden County Superior criminal court in Burlington.
Judge Kevin Griffin ordered that Lee continue to be held without bail and scheduled a weight of the evidence hearing for April 1.
The two felony counts of kidnapping are each punishable by life in prison and/or fines of $50,000 or more. Two more charges for destructive or hoax devices relating to Molotov cocktails that Lee was allegedly making inside the bar each carry a potential 10-year prison term and/or a fine of $10,000 or more.
Lee, who was assigned a public defender at Wednesday’s hearing, also faces three assault charges, as well as charges of fourth degree arson and resisting arrest.
The police affidavit outlines Lee barricading two patrons at T. Rugg’s Tavern in the Old North End, which led to a nearly five-hour standoff with police.
Lee was allegedly armed with a knife and glass shards, and was preparing to ignite Molotov cocktails when one of the patrons threw a stool at him in an attempt to escape, according to the affidavit. At that point, police entered the bar and arrested Lee.
Police had earlier stopped Lee because he was wanted on charges of violating his conditions of release and felony identity theft. But Lee took out two sharp weapons, prompting the officer to pull out his gun, according to the affidavit. Lee fled, running through alleys, over fences and across backyards before entering the bar, the court document stated.
After his arrest, police said that Lee remained combative and resistant at University of Vermont Medical Center where staff tried to treat his self-inflicted wounds, forcing them to sedate him and place him in restraints. A hood was placed on his head after he spit at and struck a hospital security person and a police officer, the affidavit noted.
Lee is also facing two charges from Dec. 28 – a violation of curfew and fraudulent use of a credit card, according to prosecutors.
Lee has a long criminal history that includes two assault convictions, five felony charges, six assault charges and 15 misdemeanor charges, according to court documents.
