Updated at 7:12 p.m.
Federal and state officials on Tuesday identified the U.S. Border Patrol agent fatally shot Monday afternoon in Vermont as David C. Maland. The FBI, meanwhile, shared new information about the circumstances of his death and the background of another person who died in the incident.
In a statement issued Tuesday afternoon, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which oversees the border patrol, said that Maland had “passed away in the line of duty” the day before and had “succumbed to injuries caused by gunfire following a traffic stop” in the Northeast Kingdom town of Coventry.
In a separate press release Tuesday evening, the FBI said the incident began during a traffic stop on the southbound side of Interstate 91 on Monday at around 3:15 p.m. During the stop, the FBI said, “an exchange of gunfire occurred, and Agent Maland was struck.”
One “subject” was killed, the FBI said, and a second was injured. The latter was being treated at a hospital in the area, the federal agency said.
The FBI said it would not immediately identify either of the subjects but added that the Department of Homeland Security had “confirmed the deceased subject is a German national in the U.S. on a current Visa.”
Maland, who was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, later died from his injuries, according to the FBI.
Public records identify a David C. Maland, 44, of Newport, who previously lived in Texas near the Mexican border. Newport is mere miles from multiple Customs and Border Protection facilities, as well as from the scene of the incident in Coventry and the Canadian border itself.
Customs and Border Protection had previously said that the fallen officer had been assigned to the Swanton Sector of the border, which extends from New York through Vermont and New Hampshire.
Earlier Tuesday, two state officials expressed their condolences in remarks at the Vermont Statehouse in Montpelier.
Speaking on the Senate floor Tuesday morning, Sen. Russ Ingalls, R-Essex, addressed Maland’s death following a moment of silence.
“I just want to put a name to the face of the officer that was killed yesterday,” Ingalls said. “His name is David Maland, and I thank you very much for the moment of silence.”
At a press conference later Tuesday in his ceremonial Statehouse office, Gov. Phil Scott extended his “heartfelt condolences to Agent Maland’s family, friends, and colleagues.”
In an interview with VTDigger, Ingalls again expressed his condolences and noted the impact that Maland’s death had on community members.
“We have a very personal connection in the (Northeast) Kingdom with law enforcement,” he said. “We honor them, we believe in what they’re doing, and I’m sorry I never got a chance to meet this young man.”
