ST. JOHNSBURY— A St. Johnsbury man pleaded not guilty Monday to several charges, including attempted first-degree murder, for allegedly shooting and injuring a police captain investigating a report of domestic violence late Friday afternoon.
Court papers made public Monday ahead of Scott Mason’s arraignment provided new details of the shooting, the search for Mason and his eventual arrest early Sunday morning.
The search prompted the state to issue its first Blue Alert, which is used to inform the public of an ongoing search for someone suspected of injuring or killing a police officer.
The officer Mason has been charged with shooting, St. Johnsbury Police Capt. Jason Gray, was in stable condition at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire, as of Sunday afternoon, according to an update from police at that time.
Mason, 38, entered not guilty pleas Monday to the charges against him, through his attorney, during a brief arraignment hearing in Caledonia County Superior criminal court.
Judge Michael Kainen granted the prosecution’s request that Mason be held without bail pending a further hearing to consider the strength of its case against him.
A large crowd packed the courtroom, including many law enforcement officers from St. Johnsbury, the Vermont State Police, as well as neighboring communities.
Mason, wearing red prison clothing with his wrists and ankles in shackles, kept his head down as he was brought into the room.
He had been originally charged with attempted second-degree murder but that charge was upgraded to attempted first-degree murder on Monday.
Mason also pleaded not guilty to charges of aggravated assault on a police officer, possessing a firearm after having been convicted of a violent offense, carrying a deadly weapon while committing a felony, and unlawful mischief.
If convicted of the attempted first-degree murder charge alone, Mason would face up to life in prison.
Attorney Jennifer Cleveland, who represented Mason during the court proceeding, declined comment following the hearing. She told the judge that she would only be representing Mason for the arraignment and that new counsel would need to be appointed for him due to a conflict.
According to charging documents prepared by Vermont State Police, the lead investigative agency in the case, at around 4:30 p.m. Friday police received a call reporting a domestic assault.
Four St. Johnsbury officers responded to the scene at 261 Portland St. Gray and Officer Jasmine Hendry went into the building after finding the door to the porch unlocked, Vermont State Police Detective Sgt. Drew Cota wrote in an affidavit.
Hendry, in an interview with state police, reported that once at the top of the stairs she heard a loud bang go off and retreated down the stairs, Cota wrote in the affidavit.
“She then realized Captain Gray was still upstairs and went to get him, but he was coming down covered in blood saying he had been shot in the arm and face and needed an ambulance,” Cota wrote in the filing. “She stated she tried to assess his wounds, but then drove him to the hospital.”
A review of Hendry’s body camera revealed that as Gray and Hendry were in the building a male voice could be heard saying, “get the fuck out,” followed by two loud bangs, after which Gray was seen coming down the stairs covered in blood, the affidavit stated.
The footage also showed that only five seconds elapsed from the time Gray got to the top of the stairs to when he was shot, according to the filing.
Gray was initially taken to Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital in St. Johnsbury by Hendry, and then airlifted to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, the affidavit stated.
Police said a later examination of Gray’s clothing and body armor showed dozens of small projectile strikes that, according to the charging documents, were “consistent in size with bird shot” from a rifle.
“Some of these strikes penetrated the clothing and appear to be stopped by the body armor which is designed to cover the upper torso, vital area, of the person wearing it,” the filing stated, adding that Gray did suffer “multiple projectile” strikes to his neck and throat, as well as a collapsed lung.
Investigators tried to download information from Gray’s body camera but it was too damaged and wouldn’t turn on, according to the affidavit.
The Vermont State Police Tactical Services Unit was called to the scene after the shooting but couldn’t find Mason inside the building or the surrounding area, according to the affidavit.
Police did report finding an open window in the back of the residence that led to the top of a garage, as well as footprints in the snow leading off the edge of the garage onto the ground below, the filing stated.
Also, according to the detective’s affidavit, police reported finding a surveillance video system consisting of multiple camera angles from around the inside and outside of the residence.
More than a day after the search for Mason began, at around 11 p.m. Saturday, Antino Pepper, 27, flagged down officers in St. Johnsbury and told them Mason was in a first-floor apartment at 251 Portland St.
According to police, that apartment is next door to the building where Mason lived and the shooting took place.
Pepper reported that Mason was in the apartment with other people, including the woman he had lived with, and she had brought Mason food, according to the affidavit.
“(Pepper) stated there was conversation about needing to get Scott out of the house and that they had arranged a ride to come pick him up soon,” the filing stated, with Pepper adding that Mason had a black handgun and “wood stocked” rifle.
“When Pepper was asked why he was providing information about Scott Mason, he stated Scott had ‘shot a cop’ and it wasn’t ‘cool,’” the filing stated. “Pepper also stated he is also trying to get out of Vermont to go home to Louisiana and knew there was a $25,000 reward being offered for Scott’s arrest.”
The town of St. Johnsbury had announced Saturday a $25,000 reward in the case, and later that same day the FBI put out a press release offering an additional $25,000 reward.
After speaking with Pepper, according to the affidavit, police got a warrant to search the residence, and the state police tactical team raided the apartment at around 2 a.m. Sunday.
“During the warrant execution multiple people exited the residence and denied that Scott was inside,” the filing stated. “Scott was later arrested when he came out of the residence when it was announced a K9 unit would be deployed inside.”
The charging affidavit added, “While being taken into custody, Scott struck a State Police observation drone causing significant damage.”
The woman who lived with Mason had told investigators she and Mason had been arguing all day Friday but denied that the altercation became physical, though she had a mark on her face, the filing stated. During the interview, the woman reported that Mason had been acting “delusional” and had been talking to himself, the detective wrote in the affidavit.
She also reported that Mason “was five days off of fentanyl” but was still using cocaine, according to the filing.
According to state police, no charges had been filed against anyone as of late Monday afternoon in connection with Mason’s time on the run, though the investigation was continuing.
It was unclear Monday whether the tipster would receive any reward money for alerting police to Mason’s location.
“The (St. Johnsbury) Selectboard will be addressing that, as well as the FBI, down the road,” state police Maj. David Petersen said during a press conference Sunday afternoon.
Petersen also said Sunday that authorities searched more than a dozen properties while trying to track down Mason.
“There may be some questions about whether Mr. Mason was in the property where he was eventually located throughout,” Petersen said. “I can tell you we searched that property multiple times between the shooting and when he was apprehended.”
Petersen added that Mason’s exact whereabouts during the roughly 36-hour search remained under investigation.
